Wimbledon star bursts into tears and falls to floor after setting up possible Raducanu tie
The emotion was too much for one Wimbledon star after victory at SW19.
Donna Vekic fell to the floor and could not hold her tears back after she sealed her place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals against Emma Raducanu conqueror Lulu Sun.
After reaching her first SW19 quarter-final with victory over Paula Badsoa, the Croatian immediately dropped to the surface before making her way over to the bench and covered her face as she began to weep with joy.
Vekic was asked if she was OK shortly after the match, only to turn the question back on the crowd and responded: "The question is… are you guys alright after so much rain?”
Related articles
“We arrived here at 8.30am. It’s almost 7pm," she said in her on-court interview. "So it’s been a long day. I’m really happy to win, to be finished. To be in the last eight of my favourite tournament, it’s really special.
”I used to train in London so I’m kind of used to the weather. I apologized to my team during the breaks. I was a bit of a mess at times. We made it through in the end.”
Vekic will face Sun after her 6-2 5-7 6-2 win over Raducanu, aiming to reach her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
At 28, Vekic could be considered a late bloomer after reaching the final eight for the first time at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year, coming through 6-2 1-6 6-4 against Badosa.
The world No. 37 reached the fourth round at SW19 in 2018, but fell at that stage and in her eyes she has matured, helping her to move within three matches of becoming another new women's singles champion.
"I think I'm a different person now compared to six years ago," Vekic said as she previewed her match with Badosa. "It's definitely different. I don't know about the level of tennis, but I feel like I've matured more. Maybe I'm enjoying it more. I don't know.
After a lengthy match that included four rain delays, Badosa quickly left the court amid Vekic's celebrations, having gone through similarly emotional scenes in her own third-round victory to set up their clash.