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Croatia’s Donna Vekic and Borna Coric lifted the Hopman Cup 2023 trophy on Sunday, July 23, after defeating Switzerland’s Celine Naef and Leandro Riedi in the final at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club in France.
The Hopman Cup 2023 was the 32nd edition of the mixed-gender tournament, which returned after a four-year hiatus and moved from its traditional venue in Perth, Australia, to Nice, France.
The event featured six teams representing their nations in a round-robin format, followed by a final between the top two teams. The tournament was played on clay courts from July 19 to 23.
Croatia reached the final by topping Group B with wins over Belgium and Spain, while Switzerland finished second in Group A behind France. Croatia edged out Spain 2-1 in the semifinal, while Switzerland stunned France 2-1. In the final, Croatia proved too strong for Switzerland, who were missing the services of their star player Belinda Bencic due to an injury.
Vekic and Coric both won their singles matches in straight sets against Naef and Riedi respectively, making the mixed doubles match redundant. This was Croatia’s second Hopman Cup title, the first one dating back to 1996.
Vekic and Coric celebrated their victory by embracing each other and holding the trophy aloft. Vekic took to Instagram to share the news of the victory on Sunday, July 23.
"Champs !!! 🏆🇭🇷❤️," Vekic wrote on Instagram.
A look back at Donna Vekic and Borna Coric's performance at Wimbledon 2023
Donna Vekic and Borna Coric are two of the most successful Croatian tennis players in recent years.
Vekic, seeded 20th, defeated Zhang Shuai and Sloane Stephens at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships before losing to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets in the third round. Vondrousova, who reached the final of Roland Garros in 2019, played an aggressive match to end Vekic’s hopes of a deep run at Wimbledon.
Coric, seeded 13th, had a disappointing exit from the prestigious tournament, as he fell to Argentine Guido Pella in five sets in the first round. Pella, who had reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2019, used his solid baseline game and variety to frustrate Coric, who could not find his rhythm or confidence on the grass.
Donna Vekic and Borna Coric also celebrated their friendship with a birthday bash for Vekic ahead of Wimbledon, where they were joined by fellow tennis player Belinda Bencic.
