Borna Ćorić: ‘Goran’s Advice Helps the Most’

Beating one of the greats of the game in Rafael Nadal, becoming the youngest player to be ranked inside the Top 100 and being talked about by media all over the world – it has been some week for 17-year-old Croatian tennis sensation Borna Ćorić…

Ćorić arrived back in Zagreb on Monday with his feet firmly on the ground after his dream run which saw him make the semi-final of the strong ATP Swiss Indoors in Basel.

“I played some top quality matches, beating two players from the Top 15, one who is one of the best players in the history of tennis. It was the best tournament of my career so far and I am really pleased. But, I cant stop here, I have to work to achieve something bigger,” Ćorić told a press conference on Monday in Zagreb, before talking about his goals for next year.

“Next season I want to be inside the Top 50, then after that I will see,” said the mature teen, who is now ranked 93rd in the world, something that mentor and former great Goran Ivanišević predicted would happen.

“I told Goran he is crazy. I thought it would be excellent if I finished in the Top 150. It looks like I was mistaken and I am happy to admit it,” said the likeable Croat, who has a special relationship with the former Wimbledon champion.

“His advice helps me the most. We hear from each other almost every day, we send messages. He is one of the ones that sends me messages even when I lose to say that it’s all right,” said Ćorić, who is already being compared to the greats of the game.

“That does not mean much to me. I look at myself, not statistics and what Federer done at my age. I am Borna Ćorić and I have my career.”