New Croatian tennis wunderkind
It seems that, if you want to succeed in Croatian tennis, it is important that your name is Borna. After Borna Ćorić, Croatia has another super talented young tennis player, Borna Devald. Although he is only 13 years old, his name is already well-known in tennis circles. He introduced himself to the world in 2014 when he won the Orange Bowl in the under-12 category. During the past two weeks, he again confirmed that he is one of the foremost tennis stars of his generation. He reached the finals of Bolton and Les Petits As, the European counterpart to the Orange Bowl.
“This is a great feeling; I will forever remain a part of the history of these tournaments. The result at the Petits As is especially important because the strongest players from all over Europe took part”, said Borna. How important the tournament really is can be seen from the list of its former finalists and winners: Krajicek, Chang, Nadal, Murray, Ferrero, Gasquet, Ančić, Ćorić… Novak Đoković once played in the quarterfinals, while Roger Federer played in the round of 16.
Borna Devald and tennis legend Martina Navratilova
Interestingly, Devald and Ćorić are almost neighbours. “I have practiced several times with him. He is already a professional player, so his advice means a lot to me. He told me that, regardless of successes, I must always stay focused.
Devald is currently the second best player in Europe in the under-14 category, behind Shestakov from Ukraine. Interestingly, he has never played against him. The ranking system allows players to collect points without ever appearing in major tournaments. “He plays only in Russia. I think I can ‘take him down’ if I win one or two tournaments from the first category”, said Borna.
Borna used to train football as well, playing as a midfielder for Trnje. He even had an offer from Dinamo, but he refused to go there because he liked his teammates so much. At the age of ten, he definitely decided to focus on tennis. “It seems I make a good choice”, said Borna with a laugh.
If everything goes according to the plan, Borna could play at the Junior US Open next year. His strongest weapon is his forehand while the favourite player is Roger Federer. “He is the greatest of all time. I would like to be like him one day.”
