"I'm very happy I'll get to compete in Umag once again. That's definitely my favourite tournament in the calendar. I'm on my home ground, with an excellent support, and I can enjoy myself with my family and friends. Even the conditions on the court suit me. I truly like playing at Stella Maris. That is why last year I was especially sad that my national team obligations had kept me from coming to Umag. See you in Umag!"one of the world's best young tennis players said.
Even though he is only 20, Borna has already managed to form a deep connection with Umag. It was here that in 2013, Borna, then a 16-year-old boy, had his debut in the main draw of an ATP tournament. He narrowly lost to Horacio Zeballos; however, a year later, Borna beat Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Zeballos, earning the first ATP wins of his career. We still remember that year's quarter-final thriller match against Fabio Fognini, when Borna lost in dramatic fashion, as one of the best matches in the last couple of years in Umag. He reached the quarter-final stage again in 2015 but was beaten by the Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut.
Borna is currently ranked 59th in the world; however, his ATP ranking would have been much higher had it not been for last year's injury. Because of his knee operation, Borna missed the last three months of the 2016 season, and this year, he already won his first ATP title. His triumph in Marrakech confirmed his place i among the top young tennis players in the world. That is why his participation in the inaugural Next Generation ATP Finals in Milan, Italy, featuring the top 8 U-21 tennis players, should not be doubted. With the points from the great ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid, Spain, where he is scheduled to play in today's third-round match against world's number one Andy Murray, Borna will strengthen his second place in the race for the young stars' competition in early November.
"Borna has a huge potential, he is the future top-10 player! There is a lot of room for improvement, and that's a good thing. He will be difficult to beat in Umag and that is why nobody will have it easy playing against him. He will also be additionally motivated to do well in front of the home crowd," the legendary Goran Ivanišević said.
