Ajla Tomljanović was first inspired to pick up a racquet when she was just six years old, hoping to join in on the fun between her older sister and handball champion father.
She trained in her hometown of Brisbane for years before moving to Florida when she was 13 to improve her game and developed into the World junior No.4 player.
Again, she was following her older sister, who had been offered a position on the University of Virginia’s tennis team and had a successful collegiate career.
Tomljanović has competed on the professional circuit for a decade now, but several injuries and a shoulder surgery in 2016 set her back and she’s had limited ability to showcase her sporting prowess on an international circuit.
But on Tuesday afternoon in Wimbledon, the 28-year-old will compete in a historic all-Australian quarterfinal clash against golden girl Ash Barty.
Ajla Tomljanović was first inspired to pick up a racquet when she was just six years old, hoping to join in on the fun between her older sister and handball champion father
Both girls learned to play from their father Ratko, who won the handball European Cup in 1992 and 1993 and emigrated to Australia with his daughters and wife Emina for a better life
The women have been named as teammates for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and frequently warm up together at competitions, but it’s the first time they’ll go head to head.
The last time two Australian women competed in a Wimbledon quarterfinal was 41 years ago when Wendy Turnbull took on Evonne Goolagong.
Relatively unknown Tomljanović catapulted into overnight superstardom during the tournament after a fiery row accusing a competitor of faking an injury and taking down debutant Emma Raducanu.
All eyes were on 18-year-old Raducanu ahead of the the round-four clash, but Tomljanović edged the first set 6-4 before Raducanu retired injured, effectively handing the Croatian-born Aussie her ticket to the quarterfinal against Barty.
Tomljanović was well known among tennis fans for her two-year relationship with Nick Kyrgios between 2015 and 2017.
Tomljanovic and her family (pictured) remain incredibly close, even with Hana still living overseas
Ajla Tomljanovic (left) – now through to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon – previously dated Nick Kyrgios, 26, (right) for almost two years until they broke up in 2017
Ajla Tomljanovic and Nick Kyrgios (above) were an item until his partying reportedly proved too much when the Canberra-born reformed ‘bad boy’ was pictured with two girls outside a London nightclub in 2017. Ajla deleted all pictures of the two together from social media before meeting her tall, dark and handsome Italian two years later
But she was a budding tennis star well before she met Kyrgios, and has been chipping away at competitions before bursting onto the scene at Wimbledon.
Both Ajla and her sister learned to play from their father Ratko, who won the handball European Cup in 1992 and 1993 and emigrated to Australia with his daughters and wife Emina for a better life.
Tomljanovic was an accomplished junior player, and at her height ranked world No.4 on the international junior circuit.
The family remain extremely close and Tomljanovic’s father also doubles as her coach, cheering her on from the sidelines during every match.
She describes their relationship as that of ‘two peas in a pod’.
The duo both represented Australia together for a tennis tournament in 2019 and will compete on the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympics
While tennis may have been Tomljanović’s first love, she is equally as obsessed with watching basketball and tries to catch as many games in-person as she can
Tomljanović and her new boyfriend, Matteo Berrettini (pictured) hooked up in 2019 and have kept fans updated with pictures of their relationship on social media as they jetset around the world to tournaments.
While tennis may have been Tomljanović’s first love, she is equally as obsessed with watching basketball and tries to catch as many games in-person as she can.
She enters the quarterfinal as the 75th seed for Wimbledon as she prepares to take on World No.1 Barty.
The match up marks the first time Barty has made a quarterfinal at Wimbledon, and she’ll be competing against a woman she often warms up with for matches.
The duo both represented Australia together for a tennis tournament in 2019 and will compete on the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympics.
The family remain extremely close and Tomljanovic’s father also doubles as her coach, cheering her on from the sidelines during every match
The 28-year-old has been training for this moment since she was just six years old, after being inspired to pick up a racket but her older sister, Hana
Before Barty learned that Tomljanovic had won her round four match up, she said she was thrilled to see her teammate have so much success this year
Before Barty learned that Tomljanovic had won her round four match up, she said she was thrilled to see her teammate have so much success this year.
‘I was pumped to see Ajla through to the second week here for her first time at Wimbledon, I think,’ Barty said.
‘She’s been knocking on the door for a long time. She’s a great girl, has been playing some great tennis. I was rapt for her to be able to get through.’
In 2014, then-21-year-old Tomljanovic was able to start representing Australia but was required to represent Croatia in all non-Grand Slam events until 2018, when she was granted citizenship.
Tomljanovic’s older sister was offered a position on the University of Virginia’s tennis team and had a successful collegiate career
Pictured: Tomljanovic with her mother when she was a child. Her parents emigrated from Croatia when she was a child
Tomljanovic’s profile had been substantially raised after she was linked to tennis star Nick Kyrgios (pictured together)
By that point, her profile had been substantially raised after she was linked to tennis star Nick Kyrgios.
The couple dated for two years to 2017, before parting ways after Kyrgios’ reported partying drove a wedge between them.
Pictures showing the one-time ‘bad boy’ of Australian tennis partying with two girls outside a London nightclub in 2017 was reportedly the straw that broke the camel’s back for the relationship.
Tomljanovic deleted all pictures of the two together from social media before meeting her current boyfriend, rising Italian star Matteo Berrettini two years later.
The couple have kept fans updated with pictures of their relationship on social media as they jetset around the world to tournaments.
Tomljanovic credits her father for igniting her tennis passion. Pictured teaching her to play as a child
In her career, Tomljanovic has won four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. After 10 years on the circuit, Tuesday’s match will mark her first-ever grand slam quarter final
In her career, Tomljanovic has won four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
After 10 years on the circuit, Tuesday’s match will mark her first-ever grand slam quarter final.
There are concerns the game is inherently unfair because her round-four match finished at 9.15pm – some seven hours after Barty’s own game had finished.
The delay and extra rest for Barty gives her an edge, fans say.
‘I’m just happy to share the court with Ash tomorrow. I always talk so highly of her because it’s really what I think,’ Tomljanovic said.
Tomljanovic and Barty will go head-to-head on Tuesday afternoon local time, no earlier than 1.15am for those watching in Australia.
Ajla Tomljanović was first inspired to pick up a racquet when she was just six years old, hoping to join in on the fun between her older sister and handball champion father
She now travels the world competing in tennis tournaments and shares photos with her 126,000 fans on Instagram
Jelena Ostapenko rages at Ajla Tomljanovic after losing third round match, with the Australian accusing her opponent of faking an injury in the final set
A bitter row exploded on Court 15 on Saturday when Ajla Tomljanovic accused Jelena Ostapenko of faking an injury, lying and ‘disgraceful behaviour’ during her third-round win.
With the Australian about to serve, Ostapenko sat down in her chair and said: ‘I cannot continue. I have pain.’
The Grand Slam rules state that a player must wait for the next changeover to receive medical treatment, unless they have an ‘acute injury’. The umpire called for the physio, to the fury of Tomljanovic: ‘You know she’s lying, right? We all know. Are you taking into any consideration that she looked fine for an hour and 30 and now there’s an acute injury?’
The Latvian was assessed by the physio and left the court to receive treatment. She eventually returned and Tomljanovic won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
After a belated handshake, the war of words got personal. Ostapenko: ‘If you think I’m faking it, you can talk with the physio. Your behaviour is terrible. You have zero respect.’ Tomljanovic: ‘You’re the one to talk.’ Ostapenko: ‘What? You’re the worst player on tour.’
Jelena Ostapenko (R) and Ajla Tomljanovic (L) were involved in a heated clash after their match