TENNIS

The 10 best Croatian tennis players of all time

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Goran Ivanisevic celebrates his Wimbledon victory

Croatian tennis achievements are recognized worldwide. The country has produced two Grand Slam singles champions and won five Olympic medals in men’s tennis, along with two Davis Cup titles — making it a true tennis powerhouse. In this article, we take a look at the 10 greatest Croatian tennis players of all time in singles, using their highest ATP ranking as the main criterion where applicable. A separate article on Croatia’s best doubles players will follow soon. Let’s begin:

 10. GORAN PRPIC

We begin our list with Goran Prpić. His highest ATP ranking was No. 16, which he achieved on July 29, 1991. Prpić’s career was threatened early on by a serious knee injury in 1986. After undergoing surgery, he spent two years recovering, and when he returned to the court, he wore a special knee brace that became his trademark.

Interestingly, his greatest career successes came after his comeback. He won his only ATP title in Umag in 1990, defeating Goran Ivanišević in the final. Together with Ivanišević, he also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. At the Grand Slam level, his best results were quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. At Wimbledon and the US Open, he never advanced beyond the second round. It’s also worth noting that he reached the Davis Cup semifinals twice as a member of the Yugoslav national team and won the 1991 Hopman Cup, representing Yugoslavia alongside Monica Seles.

9. IVO KARLOVIC

Next on our list is Ivo Karlović, standing at an impressive 211 cm (6’11”), whose highest career ranking was No. 14. “Dr. Ivo,” as he’s often called, shares the record with Reilly Opelka as the tallest player in ATP history to have earned a world ranking. His professional career spanned from 2000 to 2021, and he reached his career-high ranking on August 18, 2008.

Karlović’s best Grand Slam result came at Wimbledon in 2009, where he reached the quarterfinals. He also made it to the fourth round at both the Australian Open and US Open, and to the third round at Roland Garros. Over the course of his career, he captured eight ATP titles—four on hard courts, three on grass, and one on clay. One of his greatest achievements was winning the Davis Cup with Croatia in 2005. He also competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where he was eliminated in the third round.

8. BORNA CORIC

Although Borna Ćorić has had a solid career so far, many expected even more from him. Injuries have significantly hindered his progress, preventing him from surpassing his career-high ranking of No. 12, achieved on November 5, 2018. The extent to which injuries affected his career is best illustrated by the fact that he won the Cincinnati Masters as the world No. 152, defeating both Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to the title.

In addition to that memorable Masters title, Ćorić has won two more ATP titles. His best Grand Slam result came at the 2020 US Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. He also made the fourth round at the Australian Open, the third round at Roland Garros, and the second round at Wimbledon. Ćorić was a key part of Croatia’s 2018 Davis Cup-winning team and also triumphed at the 2023 Hopman Cup alongside Donna Vekić. He represented Croatia at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he was eliminated in the first round.

7. ZELJKO FRANULOVIC

The long-time director of the Monte Carlo Masters is best remembered for reaching the 1970 French Open final. Although the official ATP rankings were first published in 1973, after his peak years, he still deserves a place on our list. His highest official ATP ranking was No. 30, achieved on July 25, 1977. However, in 1971, he was unofficially ranked as the world No. 8, which aligns with his on-court achievements. Over his career, he won 23 titles, including one in Monte Carlo and two in Buenos Aires.

In addition to the French Open final, he reached the semifinals the following year. At Wimbledon and the US Open, he reached the third round multiple times. He also participated twice in the ATP year-end championships (1970 and 1971), finishing both times in the group stage.

6. MARIO ANCIC

Mario Ančić’s story is truly extraordinary. From a 17-year-old who stunned Roger Federer in the first round at Wimbledon to a seasoned Wall Street professional, his journey spans tennis and finance. Ančić reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 7 on July 10, 2006. That same year, he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, while his best Grand Slam result remains the semifinals at Wimbledon 2004. He reached the fourth round twice at the Australian Open, but never progressed past the second round at the US Open.

Although he was eliminated in the first round of the 2004 Athens Olympics singles by Tommy Haas, he won a bronze medal in doubles with Ivan Ljubičić. He was part of the champion Croatian Davis Cup team in 2005. Over his career, he won three ATP titles, including two at ’s-Hertogenbosch. Unfortunately, he had to retire at just 26 years old due to mononucleosis. After his tennis career, Ančić earned a law doctorate from Columbia University and successfully transitioned into investment fund management.

5. NIKOLA PILIC

The legendary Nikola Pilić was ranked as the sixth-best tennis player in the world in January 1968 by the renowned sports journalist Lance Tingay, writing for The Daily Telegraph. As a member of the so-called “Handsome Eight,” Pilić was one of the pioneers in professionalizing tennis. His suspension by the Yugoslav Tennis Federation led to 81 professional players boycotting Wimbledon in 1973 in solidarity with him.

Pilić was a French Open finalist in 1973 and reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1967. At the US Open, he reached the quarterfinals in 1973, while at the Australian Open, he made it to the third round in 1970. Partnering with France’s Pierre Barthes, he won the US Open doubles title in 1970. Over his career, he claimed 9 titles.

After retiring, Pilić founded a tennis academy in Oberschleissheim near Munich, where stars like Novak Djokovic, Michael Stich, Ernests Gulbis, and Anastasija Sevastova trained. Djokovic referred to him as his “tennis father.” Pilić is also the only person to captain three different national teams to Davis Cup titles: Germany (1988, 1989, 1993), Croatia (2005), and Serbia (2010). He passed away on September 22, 2025, in Rijeka.

4. FRANJO PUNCEC

One of the pioneers of tennis in Yugoslavia was Franjo Punčec. He was born in Čakovec on November 22, 1913. He reached the Wimbledon semifinals twice (1938, 1939) and the French Open semifinals once (1938). At the US Open, he advanced to the fourth round in 1938. The magazine Sports ranked him as the third-best player in the world in 1939.

Franjo Punčec 1936
Photo: Franjo Puncec in 1939. (source: Wikimedia Commons)

From 1948, he lived in South Africa, and his son, Frank, competed at the French Open in 1983 representing this African nation. Franjo passed away in Johannesburg on January 5, 1985.

3. IVAN LJUBICIC

Born in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivan Ljubičić was one of the most consistent tennis players during the first decade of the 21st century. His highest ATP ranking was No. 3, which he first reached on May 1, 2006. Over his career, Ljubičić won 10 titles, with the most notable being his Masters title in Indian Wells in 2010. At 31 years old, he claimed his first Masters trophy after three previous final losses. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that on his way to the title, he defeated Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and in the final, Andy Roddick.

His best result at a Grand Slam was reaching the French Open semifinals in 2006. That same year, he also reached the Australian Open quarterfinals. At Wimbledon and the US Open, his deepest runs were to the third round. He participated in the ATP Finals twice. At the Olympic Games, he reached the third round in singles in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Partnering with Mario Ančić, he won a bronze medal in Athens 2004. Ljubičić was also part of the Croatian Davis Cup team that lifted the famous trophy in 2005.

After retiring, he became a successful coach, most notably collaborating with Roger Federer, with whom he won two Australian Open titles and one Wimbledon.

2. MARIN CILIC

Second on our list is Marin Čilić. Like Ljubičić, his highest ATP ranking was No. 3, but Čilić also boasts a Grand Slam title. He etched his name into tennis history by winning the 2014 US Open, defeating Kei Nishikori in the final. Additionally, he reached the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, though both times he was bested by Roger Federer. His best result at the French Open came with a semifinal appearance in 2022. He achieved his career-high ranking on January 29, 2018.

With Croatia, Čilić won the Davis Cup in 2018. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he claimed a silver medal in doubles alongside Ivan Dodig, losing in an all-Croatian final to Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić. From Beijing 2008 to Tokyo 2021, he competed in four consecutive Olympic singles tournaments, reaching his deepest run at Rio 2016, where he made the third round.

Over his career, Čilić has won 21 titles, including the 2016 Cincinnati Masters, defeating Andy Murray in the final. He competed in the ATP Finals four times but never advanced past the group stage. Notably, when he won an ATP tournament in Hangzhou, China, ranked 777th in the world, he became the lowest-ranked player in tennis history to win a title.

1. GORAN IVANISEVIC

The greatest Croatian tennis player of all time by nearly every measure is Goran Ivanišević. The legendary player from Split reached No. 2 in the ATP rankings on July 4, 1994. His epic run to the Wimbledon title in 2001 is still regarded as one of the greatest sporting achievements ever. Ranked 125th in the world, Ivanišević received a special wildcard to Wimbledon, yet that didn’t stop him from going all the way to claim his only Grand Slam trophy. This victory was also the last of the 22 singles titles he won in his career.

Ivanišević reached the Wimbledon final three more times but fell short each time. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals in 1996, and at both the Australian Open and French Open, he reached the quarterfinals three times. He also won the Grand Slam Cup in 1995. Although he did not play a match during Croatia’s victorious 2005 Davis Cup campaign, he was part of the winning team. Partnering with Iva Majoli, he won the 1996 Hopman Cup, and at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he earned bronze medals in both singles and doubles (the latter with Goran Prpić).

After retiring from professional play, Ivanišević has continued to share his tennis expertise as a top-level coach. He first guided Marin Čilić to a US Open title and later coached Novak Djokovic to three Australian Open titles, three Wimbledons, two French Opens, and one US Open.

Who else could have made the list?

Of course, several other notable Croatian tennis players could have been included on this list. Although they didn’t make the “Top 10,” we’ll certainly mention them below:

Ivan Dodig

Although his doubles career has overshadowed his singles results, breaking into the world’s top 30 is still an impressive achievement. Dodig reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 29 on October 7, 2013. He claimed his only ATP singles title earlier that year in February in Zagreb.

In 2011, he also reached the final in ’s-Hertogenbosch, but the highlight of his season was defeating Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Rogers Cup. At the Grand Slam level, his best singles result was reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2013. He reached the third round at both the Australian Open and US Open, and the second round at the French Open.

In doubles, Dodig achieved a career-high ranking of No. 2 on the ATP list. He won two Australian Open titles and one French Open. In mixed doubles, he was just one US Open victory away from completing a career Grand Slam. Partnering with Marin Čilić, he won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and was part of the victorious 2018 Croatian Davis Cup team that lifted the famous trophy.

Boro Jovanovic

Alongside Nikola Pilić, the leader of the 1960s Croatian Davis Cup team was Boro Jovanović. This renowned player was born in Zagreb on October 21, 1939. According to the previously mentioned journalist Lens Tinge, he was ranked as the world No. 8 in 1963.

His best Grand Slam result came at the French Open in 1968, where he reached the quarterfinals. He reached the second round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while at the US Open he never advanced beyond the first round. Partnering with Nikola Pilić, he reached the Wimbledon doubles final in 1962. Boro Jovanović passed away on December 19, 2023, in Zagreb.

Dragutin Mitic

He was born in Zagreb on September 16, 1917, and was famously nicknamed “Dragec.” He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open three times, over a wide span of years — in 1938, 1946, and 1949. At Wimbledon, he made it to the fourth round twice, and at the US Open, he reached the third round once. Interestingly, he won the mixed doubles title at the French Open in 1938, partnering with the famous French player Simone Mathieu.

The magazine Star once ranked him as the world’s fifth-best player. Together with his Davis Cup teammate Milan Branović, he defected to the West in 1952 after participating in the Italian Open. After the defection, he settled in New York, where he opened a tennis center. He passed away in Houston on August 27, 1986.

Josip Palada

Josip Palada, a native of Zagreb, was one of the first Yugoslav tennis players. Despite being largely self-taught, he managed to win over 20 titles in his career. He reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1938, where he was defeated in three sets by the famous Don Budge. At Wimbledon, he made it to the fourth round in 1935, and his best result at the US Open was reaching the second round. In doubles, he twice reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Punčec i Palada

Photo: Franjo Punčec (left) and Josip Palada (right); source: Wikimedia Commons

After retiring from professional play, Palada became a successful tennis coach. He passed away on May 4, 1994, in Zagreb.

Franjo Kukuljevic

Just like Palada, Franjo Kukuljević was also left-handed. The success of left-handed players at the French Open seems more like a rule than an exception (see: Rafael Nadal). Kukuljević reached the fourth round of the French Open in 1938, achieving the same result that year at the US Open. However, his best Grand Slam performance came at Wimbledon in 1939, where he reached the quarterfinals.

The only Grand Slam final he played was in mixed doubles at the French Open in 1939, partnering with the aforementioned Simone Mathieu. After World War II, he emigrated to South Africa with his brother Tomislav. He passed away on August 11, 2002, in Johannesburg.

This concludes our overview of the greatest Croatian tennis players of all time. Of course, we haven’t forgotten the Croatian doubles legends, such as Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić, but more on them will be covered in a separate article about the best Croatian doubles players.

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