"Novak Djokovic threw us 2 rackets, I still have them" - Rising star Marina Stakusic recalls fan moment with idol

In a recent interview with WTA Insider, Canadian tennis player Marina Stakusic shared an unforgettable memory of her idol, Novak Djokovic. At just seven or eight years old, she witnessed Djokovic throw two rackets into the crowd after a match. That moment, she says, still resonates with her.

"I think when I was around 5 or 6, we went to the National Bank Open in Toronto and we watched him," Stakusic recounted. "When I was 7 or 8 we watched him in the final there and after the final he threw us two racquets. I still have them. That was an unreal moment. I’ve seen him many times as a fan, but I’ve never met him in person."

Marina Stakusic's journey in tennis began when she followed in her brother's footsteps at the age of six. Her family, of Serbian descent, supported her passion for the sport.

"None of my family plays tennis, but when my brother was five years old, my parents bought Walmart racquets and they went to play outside. He started playing and they thought they should put him into tennis," she explained.

Her passion for tennis goes beyond mere competition; Stakusic finds playing therapeutic and loves the feeling of being on the court.

"I love competing. I love hitting the ball. It's therapeutic. When I'm on court all my problems disappear," she said. "There's something in me that just loves holding a racquet, playing in front of people."

With her sights set on 2024, Marina Stakusic is gearing up to boost her ranking and make it into the big leagues. Playing at the Billie Jean King Cup served as a reality check for the young Canadian, vividly highlighting the distance she needs to bridge to compete with elite players.

"I feel like my mentality is there. For me, it's the physical aspect and being present for every single point from the beginning of the match," she said. "For example, I played against Barbora Krejcikova and I could see the difference playing against her. She took so much time away from me. She was so precise with her angles. So it's about being present, good energy, good footwork, not giving away any free points."

"I played at a grass tournament when I was 10 years old and I won it" - Marina Stakusic recalls her early success and love for grass courts

Marina Stakusic at Billie Jean King Cup finals

In the same interview with WTA Insider, Marina Stakusic fondly recalled her first triumph on grass courts, setting the stage for her Wimbledon aspirations.

"I played on grass, maybe not professional grass, but I played at a grass tournament when I was 10 years old and I won it," she recalled. "I loved the surface. There's just something about Wimbledon. It's prestigious, and it was always the tournament that I wanted to play."

From a young age, Stakusic aimed high, aspiring to win Wimbledon and become World No.1.

"From a very young age, my goals in my head were to win Wimbledon and become No.1," she confessed. "So from the beginning I never really did it just for fun. I was doing this to win Wimbledon one day. I'm not just doing it for fun. It's always been serious since the beginning."

Stakusic also spoke about playing in the Billie Jean King Cup alongside top Canadian players such as Leylah Fernandez and Eugenie Bouchard, who made the Wimbledon final in 2014.

"It was just crazy to be on a team with Leylah, Genie, and Gaby. I watched Genie play the final of Wimbledon, so it was so cool to be on the same team as her," she concluded.