Jessica Pegula is looking to start her single Olympic campaign with a bang! After a strong doubles start with Coco Gauff, she is ready to face Viktorija Golubic in the first round. Although the Swiss tennis player is well-known in the sporting arena and a huge Monica Seles fan, there was a time when she clashed with her childhood coach over her idol.

It all started when Golubic was very young and used to apply both hands to hit her backhand and forehand. Her coach persuaded her to convert to a one-handed technique for both strokes when she was eleven years old. But Golubic wasn’t having it! She was angry and upset with the choice because of this alteration.

Fast forward to twenty years later, it’s evident that she has improved her one-handed shots, displaying her versatility and willpower. Moreover, a few years ago, in an interview, Golubic opened up about how she made a transition from both hands to pulling single-handed shots and explained how Seles was the reason behind the Swiss choosing to play both forehand and two-handed backhand.

She stated, “It all started when I was 11-12 years old – my coach decided to change everything, because until then I played both forehand and two-handed backhand. I didn’t hit a ball there for 6 months. Before that I was pretty good, so I wanted to kill him. I wondered why he made me do all this.” 

However, along with going time, Pegula’s first-round Olympic opponent, understood by her coach, made such a huge change in her playing pattern. Golubic added, “Two years later, however, I understood that he was right. It was a long process, in the beginning I didn’t have much power and it was difficult to find the right timing. The opponents attacked me from that side, but today it’s my best shot.” 

The 31-year-old Viktorija Golubic, well-known for her remarkable career that included an Olympic silver medal and a Wimbledon quarterfinal, will take on Jessica Pegula in Paris. Her ethnic background is a blend of Serbian and Croatian, which seems to have some similarities with Seles’s mixed heritage.

Jessica Pegula’s opponent, Golubic, opened up about her mixed ethnicity 

Golubic is one of the few WTA players who is proficient with a backhand hit in one hand. Monica Seles, her favorite player, played for both the US and Yugoslavia. Reflecting on her roots, Golubic stated, “We have never lost the connection with our culture.” 

Further, she revealed, “In the family, we have always spoken our native language, a mix of Serbian and Croatian, and we have protected our culture by visiting our relatives almost every year. We made it, and I am proud of it.” Her journey serves as a monument to both the enduring influence of her idol and her own commitment to upholding her ethnic heritage while achieving success on a worldwide scale.

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Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Golubic’s first-round clash against Pegula? Do let us know in the comment section below.