The Croatian won the junior French Open title last year but is playing a senior main draw for the first time
MELBOURNE — Dino Prizmic was not quite three years old when Novak Djokovic won his first Australian Open.
When Djokovic walks out on Rod Laver on Sunday with his sights set on a title, Prizmic—who has grown up—will be the one attempting to stop him.
“I just saw one message like I play against Novak and then I saw the draw,” Prizmic tells i, nervously peering at the recording device. Tennis insiders rate this young player highly; he will need to get used to interviews, but for now, as a child who hasn’t even taken off his braces, this is all very new.
“After a few minutes, it seems normal, even though the first minute I was like, ‘No way.'”
Prizmic was raised in Split, which is also the birthplace of Goran Ivanisevic. At the time, it was a part of Yugoslavia, but by the time Prizmic arrived thirty years later, it had moved to Croatia, and it is evident that Ivanisevic showed interest in his compatriot. The 2001 Wimbledon winner was repeatedly seen last year at Roland Garros watching Prizmic play juniors.
Prizmic continues, “I am appreciative that he watched some of my matches.”
“I know Goran, but Novak kept him really busy, so he was only there to watch one or two matches.”
Ivanisevic will be able to share part of Prizmic’s game with Djokovic, whom he now trains, even though it has probably changed in the last eight months. Since then, Prizmic has only lost one set while winning his first professional Challenger title at the second tier, in addition to winning the boys’ division at the French Open.
A player with his level of potential would not normally have stayed in juniors as long as he did, but it was obvious that he desired the recognition that came with winning a junior slam.
There was a lot of pressure on Prizmic since, as she puts it, her only objective going into the tournament was to win the grand slam, which she accomplished.
“When I succeeded, I was overjoyed. I just want to keep playing because I know after that that I’m good [enough] to play with good guys.
Of course, there are talented players, but then there’s Djokovic.
Prizmic maintains that he had no childhood tennis idols, although it is difficult to believe that, training in Zagreb or growing up in Split, where he relocated at the age of 14 with his father Boris to pursue his career, he did not hold the Serbian great in high respect.
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