‘Best option for me’: Tennis Australia funding helps lure Croatian junior star

Croatia’s best junior tennis prospect will compete for Australia from now on.

Duje Markovina, who was crowned Croatia’s top junior in 2024, has officially switched allegiances thanks to a decision made by his mother, Fanja. She previously lived in Sydney for more than a decade and during that time became an Australian citizen.

Duje Markovina make his allegiance known in Brisbane yesterday. Credit: Glenn Hunt

The talented 17-year-old left-hander from Split has held an Australian passport since birth, but his family approached Tennis Australia about a potential switch midway through last year.

“Since I was born, I had [an Australian] citizenship or papers, so on one side, it feels strange, but it still feels quite normal,” Markovina told this masthead.

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