ITF

Borna Coric was eyeing a place in the 2021 Rotterdam Open final as his nightmare began to unfold. In a tournament that had already seen the Croatian Davis Cup hero produce a win against former top 10 performer Kei Nishikori, his semi-final clash against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics was a step too far in what proved to be a defining moment in Coric's career for all the wrong reasons. The 24-year-old was struggling with a shoulder problem that would not have a quick-fix solution, with his 6-4 6-1 defeat against Fucsovics proving to be his final appearance on court for almost a year. The months that passed saw Coric go through the trauma of fearing he would never get back to his best, with this 2018 Davis Cup winner conceding he had moments when he questioned whether his career would be placed on permanent hold. Amid those dark months, Coric could never have imagined the joy that would follow as he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last year and, talking to ITFWorld, he admits the challenges he has overcome with his shoulder problem made his rise back to the top of the game even more satisfying. "There were a few moments when the rehab was not going as we were planning and we had setbacks," begins the player who made his Davis Cup debut for Croatia back in 2013. "I didn't hit the targets, so I started to get worried. You wonder if you will come back sometimes, but I just kept my head down as the only way out is to work harder. I am super happy that I stayed calm and positive in those tough situations so that I came back to play tennis. "The team around you is so important and I wouldn't be playing tennis again if it were not for my physio Yiani (Louizos) and the guys I have working with me. Some of the exercises we had to do were a bit boring, but my physio kept me motivated and on the right road. "I didn't play for one full year due to having shoulder surgery and when I started to play again I was still struggling. To be honest, I didn't know how much I could play and was in some pain when I tried to step it up, but then it started to improve. "The aim (in 2022) was to finish in the top 100 in the world and I finished at No. 26 so I was very happy with the season. Clearly, this was ahead of my expectations. "My ambitions have always been high. So as soon as I was back on court, I expected a lot of myself. My goals are always to improve on things I know I need to improve on. That was a big challenge in my whole career and even this year I had some problems I had to overcome." Coric's run at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters included wins against Rafael Nadal, Felix Auger- Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, with his memories from that special week a blueprint for what is possible. "I always knew I can beat anyone when I am playing well, but that week in Cincinnati confirmed it for me," he continues. "It is always different against these top guys in the Slams because it is over the best of five sets and is always more physical, but that week in Cincinnati has shown BORNA CORIC INTERVIEW 8 Summer 2023 ITF World

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