Marina Erakovic among world tennis elite

Twenty-year-old Marina Erakovic is on a fast-track to fulfilling her dream: to be the world’s number one tennis player.

In Auckland for the first time since the ASB Classic in January, Erakovic has the chance to sit back and reflect on a whirlwind nine months.

“I’ve achieved so many firsts this year. It’s been a great year. I’m really proud.”

Starting the year ranked 153 in the world, Erakovic’s goal was to break the top 100.

By March she achieved that, and hit a career high of 49 in July. Her current ranking is 53.

Her rapid rise to the top provided automatic entry into the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. She also represented New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics.

Erakovic is one of New Zealand’s best tennis prospects in decades. Originally from Split, Croatia, she moved to New Zealand at the age of six.

She arrived in New Zealand without any English but was fluent within six months. In all the confusion, tennis provided a sense of normality for Erakovic and her sister Julia.

Erakovic would tag along with her dad Mladen to the local Western Park tennis club and entertain herself by hitting balls against the mesh fence.

A coach saw her and recommended she go to Auckland Tennis, where she joined its talented players programme.

She started winning club tournaments, then regional, then national. She is the only New Zealand player ever to hold all junior titles in one year – 2002 – under 14, under 16, under 18.

“That was a good year. That was probably when I first decided I wanted to go further with tennis, to go as far as possible.”

This year Erakovic has played tournaments in Memphis, Auckland, Florida, Morocco, Istanbul, France, England, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, New York and Beijing.

“It does get lonely and you miss your family and your friends and home. Home is where I want to be but this is what I want to do and this is my dream and you have to make some sacrifices.”

Erakovic is fortunate to have a surrogate home in between tournaments in Amsterdam, the home town of her coach Michiel Schapers.

Unlike most girls her age, she does not drink alcohol anyway and likes to be in bed at a decent time.

“Most girls my age don’t do what I do! I can’t go out drinking until three in the morning, I have to play, train or travel the next day, so it’s just not practical.”
She does, however, make an exception for movies and music.

Last week she went to British pop-indie band Scouting for Girls’ concert in Amsterdam, and she cannot wait for the Gavin Degraw concert in the city in November.

Despite her jet-setting lifestyle, Erakovic says her favourite memories are of her high-school days at Glendowie College, when she had a “normal” life.

Erakovic finished school in 2005, achieving university level bursary. Not bad, considering she was away for the majority of sixth and seventh form.

She is one of those people that make everything they do look easy. But if you try to tell her this, she’ll disagree.

One of Erakovic’s friends, Katie Johnston, reveals the tennis player is also a budding musician on the guitar.

“I didn’t even know she had started playing to be honest, I didn’t think she had any musical skills. But one day she asked if we could get together to play at my house, on my band’s instruments, and she was really good. I was shocked.

“She even asked me to start a band with her. We’re called Shimmyback!”
Erakovic began playing the instrument while she was overseas, favouring rock classics like Hotel California.

She says it gives her something interesting to do when she is bored.
It is not hard to believe Erakovic finds it difficult to relax.

Over our lunch interview she grabs my pen and starts clicking it and twirling it in her fingers.

Even the salt and pepper shakers become novelty toys. She taps her foot on the ground and stares out onto the St Heliers Bay beach.

Today, Sunday, is her day off but she wants to go for a run anyway.
She has five more tournaments this year including three WTA Tour events, in Seoul, Tokyo and Luxembourg.

So does she ever find time for romance on tour?
“It’s very difficult to have a relationship with someone because I’m away so often.
“I’d love to have a normal sort of life and stay in one place and have a daily sort of routine, but that’s not part of tennis.”