5 unknown facts about Donna Vekic, Wimbledon 2024's surprise semifinalist from Croatia

Donna Vekic put an end to qualifier Lulu Sun's fairy tale run at Wimbledon 2024 with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 comeback win. She has now advanced to her maiden Grand Slam semifinal, and has achieved this feat in her 43rd main draw appearance.

While Vekic was previously ranked in the top 20, and had reached a couple of Major quarterfinals, she wasn't high on anyone's list to make it this far at Wimbledon, with good reason. She had an 8-9 record at the venue prior to this year, and progressed beyond the second round only twice.

However, Vekic overcame odds and dug deep to fight past her opponents at the All England Club. She has won four of her five matches here so far in three sets. As she aims to continue her dream run here, here's a quick look at some unknown facts about her:

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#1 - Donna Vekic has her own clothing line

Vekic was earlier sponsored by sporting giant Nike but following the conclusion of their partnership in 2022, she found greener pastures elsewhere. She joined forces with Uono Sport and in collaboration with them, launched Donna Sport, her own womenswear line.

While a lot of brands were focused on different patterns and outlandish prints, Vekic had something else in mind. She wanted to keep her outfits simple, with a touch of elegance.

Vekic didn't really have the creative freedom with Nike to throw out her own ideas, something which she gets to do now. She debuted her clothing line at the 2023 United Cup, and has continued to expand her business.

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#2 - Donna Vekic's fragrance brand aims to help in the conservation of bees

Donna Vekic at the 2022 San Diego Open. (Photo: Getty)

Vekic was already an established businesswoman prior to the launch of her clothing line. Back in 2021, she came up with a luxury fragrance brand, "DNNA", which sells beeswax candles and reed diffusers.

The Croat donates a portion of all sales towards bee conservation efforts in her home country. This is a cause that is quite close to her heart, and she has made commendable efforts to grow the business as well as to protect wildlife.

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#3 - Donna Vekic comes from an athletic background

Vekic was always destined to be an athlete, given that her parents were part of the sporting world as well. Her father, Igor, was a professional footballer, and used to be a goalkeeper during his playing days.

Vekic's mother, Brankica, was a track hurdler, and ran numerous races in the 100m and 400m categories. Given her parents' background, the Croat was always encouraged to explore her athletic side right from a young age, and chose to make a career for herself in tennis.

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#4 - Donna Vekic is fluent in three languages

Given the global nature of tennis, it is only natural for players to pick up additional languages as the years go by. Croatian was obviously the first language that she picked up, and English became the de facto second language once she decided to pursue tennis.

In addition to those two, Vekic can also speak Italian quite well. Her name means "woman" in the language, and her parents' choice to name her in Italian could have pushed her towards learning the dialect.

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#5 - Donna Vekic was in a relationship with fellow tennis player Stan Wawrinka

Donna Vekic and Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 US Open. (Photo: Getty)

Vekic was romantically involved with fellow tennis player and three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka for about four years. The duo were one of the sport's most recognizable couples in tennis during their courtship, which began some time in 2015.

Vekic was an upcoming player when they started to date, while Wawrinka was already an established player. However, the demanding nature of tennis and the grueling year-long schedule has led to the demise of quite a few tennis couples in the past.

After going strong for almost four years, the couple too decided to part ways in May 2019. There were rumors of Vekic dating fellow countryman Borna Coric, though neither player confirmed that. While her personal life may be a bit of a mystery at the moment, her professional life is not.

Vekic has now reached her maiden Major semifinal at the age of 28 years. However, there have been plenty of late bloomers on the WTA Tour in recent years. Jasmine Paolini reached the final of last month's French Open at the same age.

Angelique Kerber was also 28 years of age when she commenced the best phase of her career by winning the 2016 Australian Open. Vekic could follow in their footsteps and become a force to be reckoned with on the heels of her Wimbledon run.