Donna Vekic’s Tearful Struggle After Wimbledon Heartbreak
LONDON — All Donna Vekic could feel after the greatest performance of her career was pain, overwhelming pain that eclipsed any words of comfort. Her aching arms and sore legs were compounded by the mental anguish of coming so close to her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, only to fall short in a dramatic and grueling match.
The unseeded Croatian’s physical and mental exhaustion peaked just as victory seemed within reach. After two hours and 51 minutes of intense competition, she missed a crucial forehand, allowing Jasmine Paolini to clinch the victory. Paolini’s triumph, characterized by jubilant celebrations and kisses blown to her mother, marked her as the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final.
Meanwhile, Vekic could barely comprehend the scene across the net. Overcome with emotion, she walked off Centre Court in tears, receiving a standing ovation from the 15,000-strong crowd, including applause from her opponent Paolini. Despite the audience’s cheers, Vekic’s distress seemed too great for her to acknowledge the support.
In the obligatory post-match press conference, Vekic struggled to articulate her feelings, punctuated by long pauses. “It was a tough, tough match. I believed that I could win until the end. She played some amazing tennis. All congrats to her. She definitely deserved it,” she managed to say.
After surviving three consecutive three-set matches to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal in 43 major appearances, the 28-year-old Vekic knew how hard she had worked. The realization that such opportunities might not come frequently added to her pain. “I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover,” she explained. “My tears were not because I was… I mean, I don’t know. I was more crying because I had so much pain, I didn’t know how I could keep playing.”
Pam Shriver, Vekic’s coach and a 21-time women’s doubles champion, tried to console her. Shriver’s own experience as a three-time Wimbledon semifinalist in singles provided some perspective, but Vekic found little solace. “My team tells me that I can be proud of myself. It’s tough right now. It’s really tough. For sure I will need to take a couple of days to see everything,” she said, tears welling up again. “I don’t know, it’s tough to be positive right now. It was so close. I had a lot of chances.”
Reporting by Pritha Sarkar