At the age of 21, Borna Coric admits that he has already experienced highs and lows in his career.
The Croat is currently ranked 48th in the world after a lacklustre start to the new year. After reaching the quarter-finals of the Doha Open, he suffered a straight sets loss to John Millman at the Australian Open. His fourth consecutive first round defeat at the Melbourne major.
Coric’s current position on the tour wasn’t what some predicted for him a couple years ago. Before turning 19, he had already achieved wins over Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as he climbed to a ranking high of 33rd in the world. He seemed destined to break into the top 20 at a young age, but injury and inconsistent results on the tour has stalled his rise.
“I broke into the top at a very young age. So I had huge expectations from myself, so that was a positive thing and it was a bad thing also because that put a lot of pressure on me.” He told the Khaleej Times. “But I feel like I have achieved a lot in my career so far and I feel I can achieve a lot more.”
Despite the roller coaster journey, Coric has still managed to illustrate glimmers his talent and potential. Last year on the clay, he claimed his first tour title in Marrakech and grabbed his second win over Murray at the Madrid Open. His maiden win over a No.1 ranked player.
The next challenge will take place at the Dubai Tennis Championships. It is a place of fond memories for Coric, who reached the semifinals at the age of 18 in 2015. He will open up his campaign against French veteran Richard Gasquet. Gasquet is seeded fifth in this year’s draw.
“Of course, the first expectation is to win the first round. That’s the most important thing. Actually it’s a very tough first round here, it’s not going to be easy,” he admits.
Compared to 12 months ago, Coric’s goals for the season are somewhat different. During an interview with Ubitennis last May, he candidly said that he needs to improve ‘every part of his game.’ This time round improvement remains a top priority, but it is second to keeping fit on the court.
“My goal is just to improve my ranking and my game and to be healthy,” he said.
“I haven’t been healthy all the time, so you know, that’s the main goal and the ranking hopefully is going to come along.”
Coric will take on Gasquet at Aviation Club Tennis Centre on Tuesday.
