Saturday morning was rocked by the news about the most promising Croatian tennis player, Duje Markovina, who confirmed that he will change his sports citizenship and in the future will perform under the flag of Australia.
The two leading tennis institutions, ATP and ITF, have already officially approved this change for him, and in a statement to the Australian media, the young tennis player did not hide his satisfaction.
This is the best option for me. I’ve had Australian papers since I was born, so it’s both weird and normal at the same time. Croatia, of course, means a lot to me, I was born and lived in Croatia, but the Croatian Tennis Association is not as powerful as in Australia, not even close. In Croatia you have to do everything yourself, and here I know what I can get, not only in tennis, but also in life. The country is amazingsaid Markovina.
The story began last year when, despite the required ranking, as a Croatian representative, he was prevented from participating in junior Grand Slam tournaments due to lack of financial support. In a few days, he will make his debut at the Australian Open, as an Australian.
A decision that caused divided reactions
On social networks, the young man from Split came under fire from critics, and some accuse him of betraying Croatia. Markovina admitted that he does not expect positive reactions to his decision.
Despite the fact that in 2022 he received The Dražen Petrović Award from the Croatian Olympic Committee for the greatest hope of Croatian sport, that honor was not enough to change his attitude.
It is not the first case of crossing under the Australian flag
Markovina is not the first Croatian tennis player who decided to play for Australia. 11 years ago, a woman from Zagreb did the same Ajla Tomljanovićwhich also met with mixed reactions from the public.
While some see this decision as a betrayal, others justify it as an understandable move by a young athlete who wants to ensure better conditions for his career.
(www.jabuka.tv)
