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Croatia’s best junior tennis prospect Duje Markovina will now compete for Australia;Ajla Tomljanovic; Melisa Ercan; Maya Joint

He will compete in the Australian Open boys’ singles draw and the traditional lead-in event at Traralgon. Former Australian Davis Cup representative Wayne Arthurs is coaching Markovina.

Markovina has captured double-digit national junior titles in Croatia.

Adopted Australian tennis players across the years

Melisa Ercan (Turkey)

Maya Joint (United States)

Jarmila Gajdosovoa (Slovakia)

Sacha Jones (New Zealand)

Duje Markovina (Croatia)

Anastasia Rodionova (Russia)

Arina Rodionova (Russia)

Daria Saville (Russia)

Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia)

He was also the male recipient of the Dražen Petrović Award in 2022, which the Croatian Olympic Committee awards to emerging athletes to recognise outstanding results. Petrović was a star basketballer for both Croatia and in the NBA before being killed in a car accident in 1993.

“I haven’t had much [reaction to my move yet] because I only just switched, but it’s not going to be positive,” Markovina said.

Markovina is not the first Croatian to start representing Australia, with Ajla Tomljanovic making the same choice in 2014 for similar reasons. Tennis is a rudely expensive sport to pursue at the elite level, and Croatia’s federation boasts nothing like the riches of its Australian counterpart.

Markovina’s family was unable to afford for him to play at any of the junior grand slams last year despite him being good enough to contest qualifying.

He is set to be well inside the top 100 boys’ rankings once players no longer eligible for juniors drop off in the next update. Lleyton Hewitt’s son, Cruz, is ranked one spot above him, and they are set to join forces at the Australian Open junior tournament.

“I want to be No.1 and win a grand slam,” Markovina said of his career goals. “If I didn’t say it out loud that means I’m not believing in it, and it’s not going to bring me that much closer to it.”

Markovina’s decision comes 12 months after one of Australia’s most promising juniors, Charlie Camus, chose to represent France.

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Fellow teenagers Melisa Ercan (Turkey) and Maya Joint (United States) both committed to Australia in recent years, while the likes of Daria Saville, the Rodionova sisters – Anastasia and Arina – and Jarmila Gajdosova are other examples of players who switched to the green and gold.

Joint’s father, Michael, is from Melbourne, but she grew up in Michigan and is one of a group of hugely promising young Australian women on the verge of breaking into the top 100.

Markovina is aiming to contest all four junior grand slams this year, while also slashing his ATP ranking inside the top 600 to begin competing in Challengers.

“I would say that I’m an all-court player. I think I have a different variation of shots that I can use in different times, depending on tactics and opponents,” he said.

“I’m working on my movement being more aggressive going forwards, and getting to the net.”

Markovina’s parents, Fanja and Sinisa, and his brothers, Roko and Ivan, remain living in Split.

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