May the 6th, 2026 – The organisers of the WTA Makarska Open have announced Severina, Indira, Mateo Đikić and top women’s tennis in Croatia from the 1st to the 7th of June. This is precisely how an important anniversary in Croatian sport is set to be marked.
a celebration of croatian sport
Severina on the square in Makarska, Indira and Mateo Đikić, the Croatian Frank Sinatra in the Tennis Centre – the organisers of the WTA Makarska Open hosted by Valamar have announced all of the details of the celebration of 20 years of the WTA tournament in Croatia.
“The 20th edition of the WTA tournament in Croatia is a strong confirmation of the continuity, quality and growth of women’s tennis in the country, which began back in 1991. We’re especially thrilled that as organisers, we’ve reached a decade of work, which has symbolically equalled the legendary period marked by Antun Plenković. This is an enormous responsibility, as well as additional motivation to continue developing this story in the decades to come.
This anniversary holds additional weight because this year the WTA Makarska Open was declared the second best organised tournament in the entire world, according to the votes of the tennis players themselves. In the competition of 53 tournaments and major destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Paris, this recognition clearly confirms how well we work and how well Makarska is recognised on the global tennis map,” said Feliks Lukas, director of the WTA Makarska Open, to journalists in Zagreb.
Lukas presented invitations to Croatian tennis players Ana Konjuh, Lucija Ćirić Bagarić and Tena Lukas, and the list of applicants includes Tara Würth and Lea Bošković.
Never say never, sang Sinatra
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play again on courts that I know very well. This tournament means a lot to us for our career development and represents an excellent opportunity for progress. We know the conditions and the competition, which gives us additional security. I’d like to invite the audience to come in high numbers and support us, I believe that with such energy, we can achieve an amazing result,” stated Lucija Ćirić Bagarić.
“Never say never”, said Ana Konjuh, referring to the potential victory of this Croatian tennis player, adding that she’s looking forward to performing once again in Makarska, where there is always a great atmosphere.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their huge support, as well as Feliks, who continuously gives us encouragement and believes that we can achieve our goal and bring the title home. This tournament always brings a new opportunity and I believe that this year things can work out in our favour,” said Konjuh, hinting at the fact we all know it’s an open secret that director Lukas has been wishing for a Croatian winner for years now.
The most alluring invitation to Makarska was Frank Sinatra’s song Fly Me to the Moon sung by Mateo Đikić, a baritone from Split, one of the performers at the anniversary tournament. He revealed the secret that he used to coach tennis, and the coach, who is the father-in-law of the popular Jole, gave him the racket that Goran Ivanišević once played with.
An exciting start to June in Makarska
The list of this year’s Makarska Open hosted by Valamar is being led by Australian Maya Joint, currently the highest ranked player, followed by Hungarian Anna Bondar and Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova, who until recently played for Croatia. German representative Eva Lys and Swiss player Simona Waltert further strengthen the upper part of the draw, and young forces such as Sinja Kraus and Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva have also announced their arrival.
The middle and lower part of the draw brings a number of opponents, including Darja Semenistaja, Dominika Salkova and Rebecca Šramkova, as well as the more experienced Dalma Galfi. France will have strong assets in Leolia Jeanjean and Clara Burel, while returning and up-and-coming players such as American Robin Montgomery and Xiyu Wang of China are also among the potential surprises of the tournament.
Former Top 50 player Tamara Zidanšek, double winner of the WTA Bol Open, and a number of young tennis players looking for a breakthrough, such as Lola Radivojević, Marina Bassols Ribera and Noma Noha Akugua, will more than likely attract special attention.
“I’m happy that the winner of the first WTA Dubrovnik Open, Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia, who is playing at an exceptional level this season, is returning to Croatia,” said Lukas, who organised the first Dubrovnik WTA tournament this year and also represents all tournaments from Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the WTA.
From Bol to Makarska, a strong step forward
“Since the very beginning of the tournament in beautiful Bol, or more precisely since the Kaštela Tennis Club has been organising the WTA tournament since back in 2016, a strong step forward has been visible in the quality and significance of this competition. It was their engagement and contribution to the revitalisation of the women’s tournament in Bol, and later on in Makarska, that encouraged us at the Ministry and the State Office to additionally design support models, including public calls, in order to systematically support such valuable sports events. These are events that have a tradition and which at the same time strongly contribute to branding Croatia as a quality organiser, both in terms of sports and tourism,” stated Darko Vučić, Head of the Sector for Umbrella Sports Associations and Sports Facilities at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
see you in makarska!
“We’re proud that Valamar is participating in the organisation of the WTA Makarska Open tennis tournament again this year, as well as sponsoring this significant event that successfully combines exciting sport, tourism and destination promotion. We’re especially pleased that this year, we’ll celebrating 20 years of the WTA tournament in Croatia and five years of the tournament being held in Makarska, which gives this year’s edition of the tournament additional value and significance.
By continuously investing in the overall quality of the offer and all of the accompanying infrastructure, together with our partners, we’re striving to further improve the experience of a stay in Makarska – both for the players, as well as for all guests and the local community. We’re also pleased that a contract has been signed for another three years, confirming that the tournament in Makarska will be held in 2027 and 2028. We believe that this year’s edition will once again confirm Makarska’s status as an incredible destination on the international sports and tourism map and contribute to its further recognition and development,” stated Davor Brenko, member of the Valamar Management Board.
Feliks Lukas extended special thanks to the City of Makarska and to Split-Dalmatia County for their continued support. See you in Makarska from June the 1st to the 7th!
