“A dog will teach you unconditional love and be there for you no matter what,” some say. For the 28-year-old player, this is true as well. The former World No. 19 player is heading for one of her biggest career matches today (August 3rd) in the finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Naturally, she is expecting all the support from her fans to motivate her throughout the game. And who better than her own pet dog to make that task a bit easier?

As Vekic embarks on her gold medal match at the Olympics, she is packing more than just her racquet, balls, and sneakers! She is taking one mysterious travel companion with her! The Croatian’s biggest and “paw-some” fan. Perhaps it might motivate her even more to earn a gold medal for the first time in the twelve years of her career, by defeating Qinwen Zheng! By her side every step of the way, her loyal canine companion, Mali, would be there to cheer her on!

Her goldendoodle has flown all the way from Croatia to Paris on Friday (August 2nd) to watch Vekic play! The Wimbledon semifinalist took to her Instagram and shared some adorable moments with Mali, with the caption, “Look who made it to Paris.” In one of the posts, she is seen smiling with the Goldendoodle on her lap, and in the other, both of them are taking a walk in the picturesque city of Paris. 

Vekic adopted Mali in early 2021, when he was just a puppy. She even announced it on her Instagram, with a heartwarming picture of Mali resting over the shoulder of Vekic. A visibly happy Vekic wrote “Welcome to the team, Mali,” on the post. While she is happy with Mali, Vekic went through a personal loss a couple of weeks ago.

Not many would know, Vekic experienced a heartbreaking loss nearly two months ago when her beloved pet dog, Hick, passed away after 18 years of companionship. The tennis star shared her grief with fans through a heartfelt Instagram post, accompanied by a series of photos and emotional emojis. Vekic’s post garnered an outpouring of sympathy and support from fellow tennis players and fans alike.

While three years have passed since she adopted Mali, and the Croatian tennis pro is now on the rise in tennis after overcoming her knee injury struggles. She is now one step away from fulfilling her “biggest goal for this year,” and here’s how Vekic is feeling!

Vekic speaks about her tennis goals!

“It’s been my goal since I started playing tennis. It’s been my biggest goal for this year,” Vekic exclaimed in joy after defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the semifinals at the Summer Olympics. Vekic, who has never won a Grand Slam, further added, “And to have a medal- I have truly no words.” But to attain a gold medal, she has to establish a lead over Zheng, against whom she has a head-to-head count of 1-1. This might not be too tough for her, given her recent success in tennis.

Almost a month ago, before her Olympic campaign, she reached the finals at the Bad Homburg Open. Moreover, Vekic, who was determined to bid adieu to her career in tennis this season owing to a “lack of motivation,” had a fabulous semifinal run for the first time at Wimbledon too. Now, she is embracing a new challenge, and hopefully, with the relentless support of her family and pet dog, Vekic will conquer her Olympic dreams this year!