Ajla Tomljanović Bio
Ajla Tomljanović (born 7 May 1993) is an Australian professional tennis player. On 3 April 2023, she reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 32, and on 5 January 2015 she peaked at No. 47 in doubles. She has won four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Women’s Circuit. In November 2023, she captured her first WTA 125 tournament in Florianópolis, and in October 2024 she added a second WTA 125 title in Hong Kong. Tomljanović has represented Australia since 2014 at the Grand Slams and across the full WTA Tour following her citizenship in January 2018.
Early Life and Background
Ajla Tomljanović was born in Zagreb to Croatian father Ratko Tomljanović, a former professional handball player who won the handball European Cup in 1992 and 1993, and Bosniak mother Emina. Her older sister, Hana, played tennis for the University of Virginia. Tomljanović began playing tennis at the age of six and grew up training in Croatia before relocating to Florida at 13 to pursue higher-level coaching.
In the latter stages of 2014, Tomljanović took up permanent residency in Brisbane to be closer to her cousin Isabella Bozicevic’s family on the Gold Coast and to begin training at the Queensland Tennis Centre. She was granted Australian citizenship in January 2018, which allowed her to represent Australia at all WTA Tour events and in the Fed Cup, now known as the Billie Jean King Cup. Beyond tennis, she is also a fan of basketball.
Path to Tennis
Tomljanović was an accomplished junior, winning the 2009 Australian Open girls’ doubles title with Christina McHale and reaching a combined career-high junior ranking of world No. 4 on 30 March 2009. Her first professional appearance came in October 2008 at an ITF Circuit event in Mexico City, where she reached the semifinals. On 10 May 2009 in Zagreb, she lifted her first ITF doubles trophy partnering with fellow Croatian Petra Martić.
Through the 2009 and 2010 seasons, Tomljanović balanced junior events with growing exposure on the ITF Women’s Circuit. In 2012, she missed most of the season due to mononucleosis, a setback that tested her development but did not derail her ascent. The momentum of her junior results and ITF progress positioned her for a full transition onto the WTA Tour in subsequent years.
Ajla Tomljanović Career
Early Career (2008–2013)
Tomljanović opened her professional account in Mexico City in 2008 and quickly accumulated ITF experience across the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. Her 2009 Australian Open junior doubles triumph with Christina McHale provided an early signature moment. As she transitioned into full-time professional tennis, she picked up her first ITF doubles title in Zagreb in May 2009.
The 2012 season was largely wiped out by mononucleosis, forcing her to rebuild her ranking and match fitness. The experience strengthened her resolve, and by late 2013 she had assembled a foundation of ITF results that would carry her into bigger events the following year.
2014: French Open Breakthrough
During the 2014 preseason, Tomljanović began working with David Taylor, the former Australian Fed Cup captain who had just left Samantha Stosur’s team. Ranked No. 72 at the French Open, she upset 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone in the first round, beat 32nd seed Elena Vesnina, and stunned third seed Agnieszka Radwańska to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. Her run, which ended against 14th seed Carla Suárez Navarro, lifted her ranking from 72 to 51.
At the Mexican Open that spring, she also reached the quarterfinals by beating Magdaléna Rybáriková and qualifier Victoria Duval. Her first major week in Paris confirmed that the switch to training in Brisbane, alongside her new coaching partnership, was producing tangible results.
2015: First WTA Tour Final
Tomljanović opened 2015 with a wildcard at the Brisbane International, where she scored the biggest win of her career to date by defeating former world No. 1 Jelena Janković in straight sets. At the Thailand Open, she reached her first WTA Tour final, falling to Daniela Hantuchová in the championship match and climbing to world No. 49. She followed that with a quarterfinal showing at the Stanford Classic during the US Open Series.
She ended the year ranked No. 66, establishing a foothold inside the top 70 and validating her status as a rising WTA Tour regular. Her 2015 results, including quarterfinals at Strasbourg and Stanford, hinted at a more consistent run in the seasons ahead.
2018: Australian Citizenship and Two Finals
After becoming an Australian citizen in January 2018, Tomljanović launched her season at the Brisbane International. She reached consecutive semifinals at WTA 125 events in Newport Beach and Indian Wells before capturing her first tour final appearance of the year in Rabat, where she lost to Elise Mertens. At the US Open, she pushed Kateřina Siniaková in the second round despite holding a match point, and then surged into the final in Seoul, losing a three-set battle to Kiki Bertens.
Tomljanović closed 2018 ranked No. 43, the first time she finished inside the world’s top 50. The two finals on three different surfaces underscored the versatility that became a hallmark of her game.
2019: Career-High Ranking and Top 40 Debut
Tomljanović began 2019 at the Brisbane International, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Karolína Plíšková. She reached her fourth WTA Tour final at the Thailand Open, falling to Dayana Yastremska despite leading 5–2 in the final set. At the Miami Open, she upset ninth seed Aryna Sabalenka in the second round for her second career win over a top-ten player, and on 1 April 2019 she reached a career-high No. 39 to break into the top 40 for the first time.
2021: First Major Quarterfinal
Tomljanović opened 2021 at the Abu Dhabi Open and made steady progress across the early season. At Wimbledon, she advanced to the quarterfinals of a major for the first time, defeating opponents across the grass-court draw before falling to top seed and eventual champion Ashleigh Barty. She also represented Australia at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, where she defeated Yaroslava Shvedova in the first round after her opponent retired due to heat illness.
At the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November, she helped Australia reach the semifinals with a win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich before the team fell to Switzerland. Tomljanović ended the year ranked No. 45.
2022: Two Major Quarterfinals and the Williams Victory
Tomljanović began 2022 at the Adelaide International 1, where she led Sofia Kenin 6–3, 5–3 with three match points before losing in three sets. After early exits at Indian Wells and Miami, she began her clay-court season strongly, reaching the quarterfinals at the Istanbul and Morocco Opens. At the French Open, she stunned fifth-ranked Anett Kontaveit in the opening round, a victory that ranked as her biggest win by ranking since defeating Radwańska at the same event in 2014.
At Wimbledon, she reached back-to-back quarterfinals by defeating Jil Teichmann, Catherine Harrison, Barbora Krejčíková, and Alizé Cornet before losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina. At the Cincinnati Open, she reached her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal, highlighted by a top-five win over Paula Badosa. At the US Open, she defeated former world No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in three sets in Williams’ final professional singles match, then beat Liudmila Samsonova to reach her third Grand Slam quarterfinal and her first at the US Open before falling to Ons Jabeur. She finished 2022 at a career-high ranking of No. 33.
2023: First WTA 125 Title and Career-High Ranking
Tomljanović started 2023 on the Australian United Cup roster, but a lingering knee injury forced her to withdraw from her match against Harriet Dart and from the Australian Open itself. Despite the limited schedule, she reached a career-high ranking of No. 32 on 3 April 2023. She returned at the US Open, beating Panna Udvardy in three sets, but withdrew before her second-round match against fourth seed Elena Rybakina due to fatigue.
In November 2023, she won the WTA 125 tournament in Florianópolis, defeating Martina Capurro Taborda in the final to capture her first title at that level. The breakthrough ended a long wait for silverware and offered a fitting return to form.
2024: First Tour Final in Five Years and Second WTA 125 Title
Tomljanović entered the 2024 French Open as a wildcard, falling in the first round to Dayana Yastremska after February surgery to remove fibroids. On grass, she used a protected ranking to reach her first tour-level final in more than five years at the Birmingham Classic, where she lost to Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, dropping to 0–5 in career WTA Tour singles finals. At Wimbledon, she exited in the first round to Jeļena Ostapenko.
She represented Australia in singles and doubles at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, losing to Coco Gauff in singles and partnering with Olivia Gadecki in doubles. After a second-round loss at the US Open to Elise Mertens, she bounced back to win the Hong Kong 125 Open in October, defeating Clara Tauson in the final for her second WTA 125 title. She finished the year at world No. 85, climbing 454 places in the year-end ranking compared to 2023.
2025: Two WTA Tour Semifinals
Given a wildcard into the main draw at the 2025 Australian Open, Tomljanović defeated Ashlyn Krueger to reach the second round, where she lost to 12th seed Diana Shnaider. At the ATX Open, she reached the semifinals with wins over Katie Volynets, Jodie Burrage, and Ena Shibahara before losing to top seed and eventual champion Jessica Pegula. At the Charleston Open, she defeated Kyoka Okamura and 16th seed Peyton Stearns before falling to Pegula again in the third round.
At the Morocco Open, she made the semifinals but retired due to illness against fellow Australian and eventual champion Maya Joint. Three days later, she beat Joint in a rematch in the first round of the French Open before losing to fourth seed Jasmine Paolini. At Wimbledon, she suffered a first-round exit to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Earlier coaches include Fernando Martínez, Rene Gomez, and Ivan Cinkuš, and she currently works with Alessandro Bega.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tomljanović plays an aggressive baseline game built on a powerful first serve and the ability to redirect pace from both wings. Her movement and footwork have allowed her to compete effectively on hard courts and grass, while her competitive temperament has produced some of the biggest wins of her career against higher-ranked opponents. Working alongside coaches such as David Taylor and Alessandro Bega, she has continued to refine her court craft and tactical flexibility.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her 2014 French Open fourth-round run marked her first major breakthrough, and her 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinal was the deepest Grand Slam result of her career until the 2022 season. The 2022 US Open third-round victory over Serena Williams in Williams’ final professional match stands as one of the most memorable moments of her career, and her 2023 first WTA 125 title in Florianópolis added a long-awaited piece of silverware to her résumé.
Ajla Tomljanović Career Wins
Ajla Tomljanović has won four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Women’s Circuit, in addition to two WTA 125 singles titles. She has reached five WTA Tour singles finals without claiming a title, with her deepest Grand Slam results coming at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and the 2022 US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals at both events.
WTA Tour and WTA 125 Highlights
Tomljanović reached her first WTA Tour final at the 2015 Thailand Open, losing to Daniela Hantuchová. Subsequent finals came at Rabat in 2018 (lost to Elise Mertens), Seoul in 2018 (lost to Kiki Bertens), the 2019 Thailand Open (lost to Dayana Yastremska), and the 2024 Birmingham Classic (lost to Yulia Putintseva). Her first WTA 125 title came in November 2023 at Florianópolis, followed by a second WTA 125 title in October 2024 at the Hong Kong 125 Open, where she defeated Clara Tauson in the final.
Other Wins and Performances
Tomljanović made her World TeamTennis debut with the Vegas Rollers during the 2020 WTT season played at The Greenbrier. She also appears in the Netflix tennis docuseries Break Point, which premiered on 13 January 2023. On the ITF Women’s Circuit she has accumulated additional titles and finals that have supported her ranking climb throughout her career.
Ajla Tomljanović Family
Family Background and Tennis Lineage
Ajla Tomljanović was born in Zagreb to Croatian father Ratko Tomljanović, a former professional handball player who won the handball European Cup in 1992 and 1993, and Bosniak mother Emina. Her older sister, Hana, played tennis for the University of Virginia, giving Ajla a clear athletic pedigree. Her cousin Isabella Bozicevic, based on the Gold Coast, was a key reason Ajla chose Brisbane as her new home.
Personal Life
Tomljanović was in a relationship with Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios from 2017 to 2018. From 2019 until 2022, she dated Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini. She is close friends with fellow player Félix Auger-Aliassime, who is dating her cousin. Tomljanović is in a relationship, is a fan of basketball, and is currently coached by Alessandro Bega. She wears Original Penguin clothing and uses Wilson racquets, having previously been sponsored by Nike and K-Swiss.
2025 Season Performance
Tomljanović’s 2025 season has been defined by steady results on the WTA Tour, anchored by two semifinals at the ATX Open and the Morocco Open. Her wildcard run at the Australian Open included an opening win over Ashlyn Krueger, while her grass-court opener at Wimbledon ended in a first-round loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She reached the third round at the Charleston Open, falling once again to top seed Jessica Pegula, the eventual champion.
With protected ranking appearances and a string of competitive showings, Tomljanović has worked to climb back inside the top half of the rankings following her 2024 finish at No. 85. Her partnership with coach Alessandro Bega has coincided with more consistent deep runs at WTA 250 and WTA 125 events. Heading into the second half of the season, she will look to build on her 2025 form and target another run at a Grand Slam main draw.