Known mainly for being the only tennis player to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard, Goran Ivanisevic, a former tennis player from Croatia, is still known for his distinctive playing style. Though he never achieved the title of World’s No. 1 player, he was always included in the list of best tennis players of his time, and his being on the rank of World No.2 in singles ranking speaks volume about his achievements.
Apart from his unique playing style, Goran is equally known for his diverse looks that he served throughout his active years, and they indeed steal the limelight. Goran’s tennis career, spanning less than 2 decades, is interesting in terms of career growth, which we will be exploring further here.
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Born on 13th September 1971 in Split, formerly a part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, Yugoslavia, Goran Ivanisevic’s parents were from a highly educational background. His father, Srđan Ivanišević, was an engineering professor, and his mother, Gorana née Škaričić, was a chemical engineer. He also has an older sister, Srđana. His father, who himself played tennis, recognized Goran’s talent and helped him polish it further.
Goran picked up an interest in playing tennis from an early age, when he was about 7 years old, along with playing soccer and basketball, and also participated in cross-country running. For education, he completed his schooling in Split and attended MIOC for his High School.
He didn’t stop there and got enrolled in the University in Zagreb and got a degree in Master of Economics and an MBA. While the exact timeline is not available but it is believed that he completed his studies after becoming a professional player.
Goran started playing tennis when he was about 7 years old under the guidance of his father, and by the time he turned 13 to 14 years old, he devoted himself completely in the sport and moved to Zagreb for his higher-level coaching. However, his professional career started in 1988 when he turned 17 and made a splash after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open Doubles, as well as participated in the Summer Olympics.
Goran became a global name in 1990 when he reached Wimbledon Semifinals, where he showcased his left-handed serve. The next decade became highly favorable for him as he reached Wimbledon finals thrice in the years 1992, 1994, and 1998, but he never bagged any win. He was constantly being included in the top 10 tennis players during the 1990s and won several titles.
In 2001, he appeared as a wildcard ranked no. 125, and won Wimbledon by defeating Patrick Rafter in a five-set final. This victory came as the most unexpected Grand Slam victories in the history of tennis. However, in the early 2000s, he suffered injuries, especially chronic shoulder injuries, and even underwent surgery in 2002, but never recovered fully. This made him take a retirement from playing in 2004.
After his retirement, he got into coaching and commentary and worked as a commentator for various sports channels. In 2013, he started his own coaching career and first coached player Marin Čilić for the 2014 US Open Title, and in 2019, Goran joined Novak Djokovic’s coaching team and assisting world no. 1 win multiple titles. At present, he is still working as a coach.
Goran’s shot to fame moment came when he created tennis history by winning Wimbledon as a wildcard and was ranked at World No. 125. This came as the first, as no one has ever won this before, and winning over Patrick Rafter gave him more limelight.
Goran was involved in a few high-profile relationships. In the early 1990s, he dated a Croatian model, Daniela Mihalić, for about 5 years and broke up. In 1988, he started dating Tatjana Dragović, a Siberian-Croatian model, whom he married in 2009. The couple together has two children, a daughter and a son, but they divorced in 2013.
Goran soon found love again in his life and started to date Nives Čanović, a Croatian radio and television host. Both of them got married in December 2017 and have a child. Both of them are still married and leading a quiet life.
At present, Goran Ivanisevic’s net worth is $10 million to $20 million, as per the available sources. He earned this wealth by playing tennis professionally for about 15 years, doing commentary for several sports channels, coaching, and sponsorships.
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