A major part of a successful career in tennis often hinges on the guidance of a great coach. For Czech tennis star Karolina Pliskova, this truth resonates deeply as she makes a sensational comeback on the courts. At 32, Pliskova is showcasing an impressive run at the Nottingham Open, captivating fans with her resilience and skill. Yet, behind her powerful serves and strategic plays lies the invaluable support of her mentor, Zeljko Krajan.

According to the WTA Tennis website, the current thread to Pliskova’s success is in the hands of Zeljko Krajan. Born on February 3rd, 1979, Krajan has briefly represented Croatia in men’s tennis. He holds a career-high ranking of 88 and has been coaching tennis stars since 2005. Pliskova and Krajan’s partnership is not old enough as the Croatian started training her mentee in February, of this year.

Pliskova split with coach Sascha Bajin in July of last year and started her new season without appointing a coach. However, she soon found the guidance of Krajan and the duo seems to doing remarkably well. Pliskova, who missed a majority of her season due to a broken arm in 2022, and called off her venture early in 2023 due to her wrist injury, is potentially eyeing a comeback. For the former World No. 1, this is not a trial partnership as she seems to gel with her new mentor. 

Speaking about Krajan, Pliskova highlighted that her coach shares a similar trait as hers. “Personality-wise, I think he’s kind of similar to me,” Pliskova said. “Not really high or low. Relaxed and very like calm.” Karolina Pliskova, however, is not the first player that the Croatian is coaching. 

Zeljko Krajan has the experience of mentoring several players including Laura Robson, Dominika Cibulkova, and Jelena Jankovic. He was also at the helm when Dinara Safina rose through the rankings to reach No.1, under his mentorship, before they parted ways in 2010. Meanwhile, the 45-year-old seems to have given some crucial tips and tricks to the former Czech star as she has demonstrated an impressive run at the Nottingham Open.

Pliskova’s powerful game relies on confidence, which waned after a string of losses in late 2023. However, she found a spark in February this year. Following a break, Pliskova dominated in Cluj-Napoca, claiming her first title in three years. She continued her momentum with a strong showing in Doha, winning nine matches across two continents and propelling herself back into the Top 40.

Pliskova described her journey since February 2024 as, “It’s the same with all the players. If you are losing, losing, losing then it’s really tough to find the game which you really want to play because then you want to win, but you don’t do what you should to be able to win. I’m happy that now I found it…But, I think it’s momentum sometimes.”

Karolina Pliskova is currently playing a crucial semifinal match against French player Diane Parry. However, Pliskova’s first title win of the season could not bring her enough joy.

“I did not enjoy the title”: When Karolina Pliskova opened up after Cluj-Napoca win

The unseeded former World No.1 snapped a four-year title drought dating back to Brisbane 2020 to win her first title of the season at Cluj-Napoca 2024. Pliskova was scheduled to play her first match of the Qatar Open, immediately after the Cluj-Napoca in Romania. However, this meant a series of hasty travelling for the 32-year-old who seemed to be frustrated. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Pliskova admitted the challenges. “It was quite crazy. I didn’t enjoy the title, still till now, at all because I had to take a private jet from Kluj to Istanbul then I was running to get the flight. So that was the toughest part of the week in Romania to run and get the plane.”

She further revealed that there was almost no time for her to rest and prepare for her next match. “I slept little bit like three hours and then I went to play,” Karolina Pliskova added. As she has once again made a comeback, it will be interesting to see if she can overcome her injury-induced hiatus and play a remarkable season.