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Dino Prizmic has been showing off in recent months and could soon enter the major circuit. The 18-year-old Croatian started playing tennis at the Tenis Klub Split: the same one where Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic took their first steps.
First the victory at the Roland Garros Junior; then success at the Challenger tournament in Banja Luka:Just the winner of the 115th edition of Wimbledon was impressed by Prizmic when he was still a child, and to whom he advised at the time to work on the forehand and serve.
It is therefore no coincidence that Ivanisevic’s current pupil, Novak Djokovic, immediately became Prizmic’s idol. The Serbian champion congratulated him on social media after the victory obtained in Paris.
Will he be the new big tennis superstar?
Prizmic: “Novak Djokovic is my idol”
In an interview with ATP, Dino explained: “When I saw him I couldn’t believe it.
It’s a great thing for me, he’s my idol: I’m really very happy. Diet with only natural products? I started when I was 15 because I saw that Novak and other players don’t eat sweets and I wanted to do the same . On the court I feel very good, I’m not tired at all.
Then I want to eat well for myself. Meat, eggs, vegetables are important to me every day. Every time I see sweets I turn away. It’s tough but I know it’s for my tennis, and tennis is my life. “The first triumph in a Challenger event that arrived in Banja Luka should not be underestimated.
Indeed, Prizmic defeated Alex Molcan, Damir Dzumhur, Fabian Marozsan and Kimmer Coopejans in the final: “It was a surprise, seven or eight months ago I wouldn’t have believed I could win a junior Slam and a Challenger. For me it is a great experience, I hope to continue like this.
It’s an amazing feeling because I know how hard I’ve worked this year. I want to keep learning more and more and play even better tennis in the future. Challenger tournaments are very important for me to learn about the players.
You have to play very well, be ready mentally and physically to fight. I want to play against the best in the world on the major circuit, so this is just the beginning.”