NowVIZ / DONNA VEKIC by NowVIZ magazine

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Cover star top pro tennis player Donna

is fresh off the Olympics in Paris winning the Tennis Singles silver medal! She’s had an incredibly strong 2024 season, battled back from injury, and talks to NowVIZ on how she’s done it.

Vekić

Cover photo by Andrea Mead Cross.

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FIRST STORY

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SECOND STORY

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THIRD STORY

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DONNA VEKIĆ PRO TENNIS PLAYER

GARY CLARK JR FEATURED MUSICIAN

CONVERSE x ISABEL MARANT

ENEA BASTIANINI MOTOGP RIDER

September 5th

Seven years after the death of frontman Chester Bennington, Linkin Park has regrouped and is making music once again. The California band announced plans for a new album and tour this fall, with Emily Armstrong as the new vocalist. Armstrong, previously of the Los Angelesbased rock band Dead Sara and former NowVIZ cover star, made her debut during a livestream concert.

September 6th

USA multi-sport athlete and Paralympian Oksana Masters won the Women’s H5 Road Race on day eight of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.This win is Masters’ second gold medal in Paris, after she placed first in the Para Cycling Road Women’s H4-5 Individual Time Trial the day before. Masters a previously featured NowVIZ athlete was also honored as the flag bearer for the US during the Games opening ceremony. The two medals bring her overall total Paralympic medal count to 19!

Former LA rock band Dead Sara lead singer Emily Armstrong (center) joins Linkin Park as co-lead vocalist along with original member Mike Shinoda. Photo: Andrea Mead Cross

19-time Paralympic medalist, Oksana Masters wins two gold medals in Paris Paralympic Games. Photo: Andrea Mead Cross

September 15th

Two-time NTT IndyCar series champion and former NowVIZ cover star Alex Palou wins the 2024 NTT IndyCar series championship in the last and deciding race of the season at the Nashville Grand Prix. The Chip Ganassi driver of the #10 car finished the race eleventh giving him a final point total of 544 to win the series ahead of runner-up Andretti Global driver Colton Herta

September 15th

NTT IndyCar driver Colton Herta takes the win at Nashville’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. The Andretti Global driver and former NowVIZ cover star started the race in nineth position and battled his way to the front over the 85 mile oval track for the win. The trophy win also gives him a season point total of 513 taking runner-up for the 2024 series championship.

Two-time NTT IndyCar series champion Alex Palo won his third championship title in the final race of the 2024 season at Nashville, Tennessee’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix of Nashville.

Photo: Andrea MeadCross

Andretti Global NTT IndyCar driver Colton Herta wins his second race of the 2024 season at Big Machine Music City Grand Prix of Nashville. Photo: Andrea MeadCross

STORY

Dane Cameron (USA),

STORY 1

(USA), Felipe Nasr (BR), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche AG

Gianmaria Bruni (I), Bent Viscaal (NL), Proton Competition (#5), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche AG

Nick Tandy (UK), Mathieu Jaminet (F), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche

Dane Cameron

Cameron (USA), Felipe Nasr (BR), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche AG

Anders Fjordbach (DK), Kerong Li (CHN), Porsche 911 GT3 R, MDK Motorsports (#86), Road America,

Nick Tandy (UK), Mathieu Jaminet (F), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche

Mathieu Jaminet (F), Nick Tandy (UK), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America,

Adam Adelson (USA),

(USA), Elliott Skeer (USA), Wright Motorsports (#120), Porsche 911 GT3 R, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche AG

Dane Cameron (USA), Felipe Nasr

Nasr (BR), Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7), Porsche 963, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Race 8, Road America, USA, 2024, Porsche AG

STORY

STORY 2

Anyone who has listened to a Gary Clark Jr. album or watched the four-time Grammy Award winner perform live knows that he’s a gifted multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and performer. And never more so than on his last album, 2019’s illuminating This Land. But while This Land signaled a breakthrough in displaying Clark’s musical versatility beyond the blues, his latest album, JPEG RAW, represents a quantum leap.

“Blues will always be my foundation,” says Clark. “But that’s just scratching the surface. I’m also a beat maker and an impressionist who likes to do different voices. I’ve always loved theater and being able to tell a story. At home when I play the trumpet, I think Lee Morgan, or John Coltrane when I play the sax. I’ve even got bagpipes just in case I need them. So while this is my most honest and vulnerable album about relating to the human condition, it’s also the most freeing.”

At once powerful, insightful, and thought-provoking, JPEG RAW picks up where This Land left off. But unlike its predecessor, Clark’s fourth studio album was born out of an unprecedented two years during which the country was rocked by a global pandemic, coast-to-coast civil rights protests following the murder of George Floyd, and a political insurrection staged inside the nation’s capitol. As a Black man and father concerned about the future for his three young children in a still challenging climate, Clark found himself back in the studio recording a personal call-to-action that’s compelling both musically and lyrically.

“When the album sequencing was finished, the band and I realized that we’d made an album into a movie,” he recalls. “That’s what I was going for sonically because that’s how the whole writing process played out. First, it’s about angst and confusion, the unknown. Next, it’s about looking at ourselves internally. And then it’s about what comes after: the hope and triumph.”

And as you listen to JPEG RAW unfold, those three distinct transitions in tone, mood, and intention urgently resonate. The curtain rises on the 12-song set with the loud, chaotic “Maktub.” Named after the Arabic word meaning fate or destiny, the track outlines the first phase of the album’s mission statement as Clark’s aggressive guitar paints the picture: “So we gotta move in the same direction / We gotta move / Time for a new revolution / We gotta move.”

The album’s title track examines the role cell-phone society plays in this chaos at the expense of real-life, one-on-one interaction. At one point in the song, he decries the fact that “my boy just can’t walk around in the store with the hoodie hoodie / They gon be watching you like lookie lookie.”

“I don’t love having a mobile device,” explains Clark of the song’s origin and the album’s overarching theme. “I miss being able to have more genuine interaction, looking someone in the eyes and learning something, getting a perspective. JPEG RAW is about showing the real and not the edit. We live in a world of edits, filters, and redos. We only get one shot.”

Before moving into the introspective segment of the album, Clark joins forces with electronic R&B/alt-pop artist Naala on the statement-making track, “This Is Who We Are.” Its marching cadence is in lockstep with the anthem’s chorus which starts: “This is who we are, go on and hate me / I’ve shown you all my scars … “

Among the songs embodying the aforementioned segment are “Alone Together” and “What About the Children.” The former features noted session trumpeter Keyon Harrold, whose horn perfectly complements the track’s slow jazz groove as Clark, in an aching falsetto, sings, “You don’t think my love is for real / I’m still here, so /Why do we feel so alone together.”

A demo that Stevie Wonder sent to Clark in 2020 led to the pair dueting on “What About the Children.” The funky-vibed mid-tempo track finds both gentlemen admonishing the world’s “heartless people” for whom children’s shattered lives in the wake of homelessness, hunger, and other struggles don’t matter. Of working with Wonder, Clark says simply, “I was a changed human.”

JPEG RAW closes its hope-exuding third segment with the nine-minute “Habits.” It’s about taking a hard yet empowering look at yourself before bad habits become problematic. As Clark shares on the chord-shifting track that showcases his mesmerizing guitar technique, life is about being strong enough to navigate the good and the bad.

“This was the hardest song for me to write lyrically because this is my truth, starting as a kid in the clubs growing up fast. So I’m trying to be better in all aspects of my life. I’m tearing up now because it’s probably the realest thing I’ve ever done. People, especially young kids, are being motivated by others’ false presentation of self. I want my kids to feel what it’s like to be a real part of this earth.”

Working once again with longtime collaborator and co-producer Jacob Sciba, Clark traverses a landscape of musical influences encompassing R&B/soul, hip-hop, blues, jazz, country, and African chants. The latter, says Clark, stemmed from conversations in the studio about the history of music and African music in particular.

“A lot of the scales from African music went into folk music, blues, and country,” says Clark, whose influences and collaborations range from B.B. King, the Jackson 5, and Muddy Waters to Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, and Childish Gambino. “And we were playing African music in the studio. So that’s where the inspiration came from to go global as we talked about what was next after This Land.”

Clark also tapped singer-songwriter Valerie June and funk master George Clinton as additional guests on JPEG RAW. And the celestial harmonies backing several of the album selections belong to Clark’s sisters Shanan, Shawn, and Savannah. Tying the whole project together are photographs that Clark took of himself and a fallen tree outside his studio that double as cover art for the vinyl package.

“I was able to be that weird kid that I knew I was in sixth grade,” says Clark with a laugh about his audio/visual mindset. “[But] we were working through the pandemic and a big freeze happened. The tree fell, but by spring leaves were still growing. To me it symbolizes resilience.”

Growing up in his hometown of Austin, Texas, Clark initially played and sang with his sisters at family events, performing songs suggested by their dad. Fast forward, and he’s a teen guitar prodigy getting co-signs from Eric Clapton among others. Making his major label debut with the 2011 Warner Records EP The Bright Lights, Clark has since released three studio albums: 2012’s Black and Blu, 2015’s The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, and 2019’s This Land. His four Grammy wins include Best Traditional R&B Performance for Blak and Blu’s “Please Come Home”) and Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Music Video for title track “This Land.”

As he prepares now for the release of JPEG RAW, what does Clark want listeners to take away from his forthcoming album? “Breathe,” he urges. “Then go outside and listen to the birds as you look up at the sky. Appreciate the things you do have. Hopefully, the album resonates with positivity and hope. It’s really not about me, so take me out of the equation. This is yours now.”

As he prepares now for the release of JPEG RAW, what does Clark want listeners to take away from his forthcoming album? “Breathe,” he urges.

BASTIANINI

If you’re Enea Bastianini, one of the elite riders in the MotoGP, you’ve reached one of the most exclusive motorcycle road racing competitions in the world. On two wheels these $4 million dollar machines reach speeds of 230mph and higher, turn corners at a wicked 65 degree angle, knees and elbows skimming the track as they roll out of a turn, and not to mention there are no seatbelts. These bikes are insanely dialed in to race fast. And Bastianini, a top rider for the factory Ducati Lenovo team, was born to compete, personifying all the necessary attributes to succeed. His constant flow of determination, perseverance, and guts are all utilized to race at this demanding level.

On the race track the 26 year old is known for his gritty driving style, the reason he has been given the nickname, “The Beast”. The name suits him; the sport has come naturally to him, and he knows how to win. Racing MotoGP, the stakes are high and the pressure to perform higher. Bastianini is well aware of the expectations put upon him, and knows that nothing short of winning is mute.

Bastianini grew up in the city of Rimini, Italy located along the Adriatic Sea coastline, and just by chance hoped on his first minibike at the early age of three. He loved it. He was also a very talented diver reaching national level status as a child. His mum Antonella said, ”We carried on with both sports for as long as possible, often doing diving competitions on Saturday and bike races on Sunday. And because of his competitive spirit he didn’t want to let either sport go, but it was no longer possible as he began to struggle. He ultimately made the decision to continue bike racing. The only thing Enea didn’t like about diving was being judged by the judges, he never agreed with them!” And so his motorcycle racing career officially began.

Enea took his first step on the world stage in Moto3 at 16 years old. He immediately got on the podium three times and earned the “Rookie of The Year” title. In 2016, he finished the Moto3 season with the highest number of podiums and was vice-world champion. Bastianini moved up to Moto2 in 2018 and in 2020 was crowned the Moto2 World Champion. “My first dream was to become a World Champion. It was a difficult period due to the pandemic, but the title will always be in my mind.”

2021 brought a new set of challenges as he made the move to MotoGP, debuting with an independent Team Ducati. And despite being one of only three men to ride on older machinery, he was one of the breakout riders of the season, with a double podium in Misano. And in 2022, “The Beast” claimed a remarkable four victories to help him clinch third in the overall MotoGP standings.

This 2024 season Bastianini has had to rediscover his form after a tough previous year (2023) riddled with injury. “I’m more confident because we did something important and something good at the start of this (2024)season. I come from brutal injuries I suffered during the last season and to start well was important for me this year.” He’s back in the fight and currently sits fourth in the overall standings with eight podiums and a win, ”I want to continue like this. If at the end of the championship I have this opportunity we will see.”

And as the season winds to an end whatever the result, it’s a win for Bastianini. He will learn and grow from the experience of the past two years and begin the 2025 season with a new team, the Red Bull KTM Tech3, alongside a new teammate Maverick Viñales. History has shown that once Bastianini grabs hold of that consistent winning equation he will soon emerge at the top. It might not be this season, but keep an eye on this guy, because we’re confident it’s not to far down the road he’ll put it all together to take the title.

NowVIZ: You were born in Rimini, Italy, and started racing minibikes at age 3! Would you give us some background on how you got your start racing and what kept you motivated to keep working at it?

Bastianini: Actually, everything started as a game. Lucky for me, I was born in an area with many riders, many karting events, and circuits. I just had fun, and at the end everything has been a natural process full of commitment, dedication, determination, and passion behind it. This is what I like, and the love for this sport is what keeps me motivated every day. I’m just a young guy living the dream of being a professional MotoGP rider.

NowVIZ: You finished third in the final 2015 Moto3championship standings, won the Moto2 World Championship title in 2020, and now riding for the Ducati Lenovo Team, you’re currently standing third for the 2024 MotoGP Championship title! As a top MotoGP rider what has helped drive your success, and what do you need to do to continue that success?

Bastianini: As I said before, everything starts with passion, and this is what moves you to keep reaching for your goals. Then the determination that you put into what you do makes the difference.

NowVIZ : Is there a particular race or achievement in your career to date that has had a lasting impact? If so, what would that be and why?

Bastianini: Getting back to winning ways at this year’s British GP has had a lasting impact on me. We came back to Silverstone after the summer break, and it had been very long since the last time I stepped on the highest step of the podium. I had had great results before, but I was still missing something to be able to win. I wasn’t expecting to find that speed there. I entirely took advantage of it and won both the Sprint on Saturday and the GP on Sunday. It was amazing!

BTS

Enea Bastianini on set working with photographer Andrea Mead Cross.

“Everything starts with passion, and this is what moves you to keep reaching for your goals. “

NowVIZ: What is your motivation to train and push yourself every day?

Bastianini: Be better every day as a rider. The worst part is when you are injured. I had a very bad experience last season, and sometimes it’s not easy to find the motivation. But then you remember how you like the adrenaline of riding a MotoGP, and you are already motivated again.

NowVIZ: How do you fuel your body nutritionally throughout the season? Is there a specific diet or regime you follow?

Bastianini: We have to control our weight, and, of course, we take care of what we eat throughout the week, but especially during the race weekend. In general, we have to take care, and we are in Italy where, you know, the food is really good!

NowVIZ: As a top rider, how do you stay in control of your races mentally?

Bastianini: A lot depends on what you do before a race. You build staying in control before jumping on the bike. I try to isolate myself before the race, especially 30 minutes before the lights go out. I shut the doors to what surrounds me and go into my inner world.

NowVIZ: Every top athlete seems to have or has had a mentor, friend, or just someone in their corner to offer guidance. We wondered if you do, and how have they helped?

Bastianini: Of course, some people around me help me stay focused. But I also have a trainer who works with me at home to train not only the body but also the mind.

“Getting back to winning ways at this year’s British had a lasting impact on me.”

British GP has

Behind the scenes in Austin, Texas with MotoGP rider, Enea Bastianini

NowVIZ: What is your passion when you’re not on the track?

Bastianini: One of my greatest passions when I am not at the track is fishing! I’ve been fishing since I was a kid, and it helps me escape from the outside world. I like staying outdoors and enjoying nature, so whenever I have time, I try to go fishing.

“I’m just a young guy living the dream of being a professional MotoGP rider.”

indian

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Converse has united with Isabel Marant for the first time to deliver a collection of new and classic styles fused with her famed fashion label’s cool Parisian aethetic.

The collection brings forward Isabel Marant’s distinct point of view, which famously juxtaposes the high and low with a hallmark injection of spontanity, independence, and natural elegance. Much like Converse, she finds freedom in unpredictability and nonconformity, and that aesthetic is apparent throughout the collection.

Anchored by Isabel Marant’s pioneering design and love for the Chuck Taylor franchise, the collection gives voice to rulebreakers everywhere with a new Chuck 70 Wedge silhouette and a fresh take on the Chuck 70. Underpinned by a dose of nostalgia, the collection is the perfect embodiment of two iconic brands coming together to create an expression of “effortless luxury.”

That expression, according to the designer, is inherent in her work. “I developed my brand in a very open and genuine way,” she says. “I chose to build it step by step to maintain complete freedom in my work. The notion of ‘effortless luxury’ is quite authentic to me, my designs, and the meaning behind them. The word ‘luxury’ is used in too many ways, and you can get bored of it — it’s much more difficult to achieve something simple and effortless, of which you never get bored.”

The new Chuck 70 Wedge also marks the latest addition to Converse’s elevation styles, offering additional forms for consumers following the recently introduced De Luxe Wedge. Touting a hidden 2.5-inch wedge heel attached to the Chuck 70 upper and midsole, the silhouette honors Isabel Marant’s stake in fashion and her pioneering work around the sneaker wedge trend of the 2010s.

Rounding out the collection is Isabel Marant’s take on the Chuck 70 hi and low top sneakers, alongside the Chuck 70 Ox. Each silhouette features key Chuck details infused with Isabel Marant’s design DNA, offering flourishes such as a frayed cotton and polyester Jacquard upper, the Isabel Marant logo in a raw-edge canvas overlay, multicolor pinstripes and laces, and a matching, translucent outsole.

During Isabel Marant’s first discussions with the Converse team, the idea of reimagining a wedge Converse sneaker came naturally to the designer. “When I was a kid, about eight or nine, I used to cut pieces of cork and put them in my sneakers — those shoes were actually a pair of Chuck Taylors,” she says. “My intention [many years later] was to have an honest collaboration between the two companies — creating something that is desirable while also keeping a classic element. Something that is not complicated and remains true to the vibe of the original Chuck Taylor.”

The Converse x Isabel Marant collection will launch September 11 exclusively at the Isabel Marant Turenne Paris pop-up, as well as Isabel Marant stores and isabelmarant.com. The collection will then be available the next day on converse.com and at select Converse locations.

The collaboration also serves to kick off a new chapter of Converse’s inline heel offerings with a forthcoming Chuck Taylor All Star Wedge, which includes a classic Chuck design with a 2.5-inch hidden heel for added height. The inline silhouette will commercialize October 3 at converse.com and select global retailers. As part of an ongoing elevation proposition, an inline Chuck 70 Wedge will follow in the coming months.

Famed fashion designer Isabel Marant has channeled her love for the Chuck Taylor franchise through her namesake brand’s first footwear collaboration.

The collection includes a new silhouette, the Chuck 70 Wedge, alongside a fresh take on the classic Chuck 70.

VEKIC

When faced with tough decisions, many look for signs from the universe. With that in mind, a delayed flight, multiple sports injuries, and “pain everywhere” would generally seem like a clear “no” for most aspiring Olympians. Not so for Donna Vekić. Only a couple of weeks before landing in Paris for the Olympics, the Croatian pro tennis player had played a grueling three-hour semi-final against Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon while coping with an excruciating arm injury. Landing in Paris, she and her team were uncertain if she’d even be able to compete. Yet she pushed through the pain and secured a silver medal in the women’s singles event—the first Croatian to ever do so.

This unshakeable determination

has been in Vekić’s DNA since childhood.

Born to athletic parents, she took up various sports before discovering her true love—tennis—at just six years old. Her parents backed her passion, sending her to MG Academy, a sports-based boarding school in Florida, US, where top past students include Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Serena Williams. Vekić excelled here and in 2012, at the age of 16, made it to her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) final at the Tashkent Open.

Becoming pro at 18, the next decade saw the tenacious young tennis player facing off against tennis greats like Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, and securing victories, such as triumphing over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo at the 2016 Soho Square Tournament. By 2017, she’d broken into the top 50 rankings, cementing her success with another WTA title at the Nottingham Open. In 2019, she made it to the US Open quarterfinals and ended the year as the No. 19 seed.

Then came 2020, the year the world shut down. But while the courts went quiet, Vekić launched DNNA, a sustainable interior design brand featuring beeswax candles, diffusers, and natural home products.

However, while her business thrived, on the court, challenges mounted. A knee surgery after the 2021 Australian Open sidelined her from the French Open and led to a string of heartbreaking defeats.

“Those couple of years were very tough,” she would later confess. “I didn’t think I was ever going to come back to the level that I even had last year (i.e. 2021).”

Still, she persevered. In 2023, Vekić scooped the Monterrey Open title and made it to the Australian Open quarterfinals. But by 2024, the pain had returned. In May, she told her coach, Nick Horvat, she wanted to withdraw from Roland Garros—maybe even retire. Her motivation was gone. That drive that always pushed her forward, seemed to have dissipated as the pain took over. Yet, in the end, she pushed forward, only to suffer a third-round defeat to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic. The match was “so, so painful,” she later admitted.

And yet, still, she didn’t quit. She made the decision to keep playing and in the Bad Homburg Open in June took silver. Just weeks later she reached the Grand Slam semifinals at Wimbledon, the first Croatian woman to do so since 1999.

However, she was battling through unbearable pain, and, as she played, couldn’t hold back the tears. The world watched in empathy—and awe—as still, she took her moment, reset, and came back fighting. It’s an ability one of her coaches and 22-time Grand Slam doubles champion Pam Shriver claims remains the Croatian player’s superpower.

“She lets people know what she’s feeling,” Shriver has said. “But that’s OK. She’s learned to use the time between points, and she’s letting the stress out and resetting.”

That reset at Wimbledon took Vekić to the Olympics and back to Paris, where just months earlier, she’d considered quitting. It also took her to the Olympic podium, where she accepted the first women’s final silver ever for her home country, and now it’s taking her to the next big adventure in her tennis career and life.

Vekić playing in the Final 2024 Paris Olympics.

NowVIZ: Let’s talk about the Paris Olympics and winning the Tennis Singles silver medal! What an absolute incredible tournament. And we know it wasn’t easy! You had to battle through some misadventures on the way to the Olympics, including having “pain everywhere”, a plane delay, and illness! Then the matches to make the final were hard fought, beating top players like Bianca Andresscu, Coco Guaff, and Marta Kostyuk. Will you talk about the experience and the highlights?!

Vekić: The Olympics this year were absolutely crazy. I still cannot believe it even now that I have a medal! It feels like a completely surreal experience and to think that I was not even sure if I was going to go - after Wimbledon. I was struggling with some injuries, I was ill, and I didn’t have any preparation at all, especially going from grass to clay, which is by far my worst surface. It definitely was not easy! Yet with each match, I felt like I was playing better and better. And I had some crazy wins, crazy matches. That match, I had with Kostyuk was insane. I was twice serving for the match, but then in the tiebreak, she had a match point, and I was losing, but I was just fighting until the end, and somehow managed to turn it around. In the final, I obviously wanted to win and go for the gold medal. But even after losing, I was upset for maybe two minutes, and then I was just really happy to have a medal! And playing for your country is always something very special. It’s a completely different feeling than playing in other tournaments. I was even more nervous than usual. And, yeah, it was not easy, but in the end, it was such a huge relief!

NowVIZ: You started playing tennis at 6 years old, entered the WTA TOP 100 tennis players in the world at 16; won four WTA single titles, as well as, five singles and one doubles title on the ITF Circuit, entered the quarterfinals at the 2019 US Open and was ranked 19th in the world. How did you accomplish so much at a young age?

Vekić: I was very young when I started on the tour. Yeah, when I was 16, I was already in the top 100 and now at 28, I’ve been on the tour for 12 years, so I think I have a lot of experience. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and it wasn’t easy at times, but I’ve been lucky that I always had good people around me. My family has always supported me and a lot of friends made my life on tour more fun.

NowVIZ: You come from a sports family as both parents were athletes. Your mother, Brankica, a track runner, and your father, Igor was a goalkeeper for the Croatian Soccer national team. Have your parents influenced you and your tennis career?

Vekic: Yes, my whole family is in sports, but no one ever pushed me to play tennis. I did gymnastics for two years when I was four years old, and then they said I was going to be too tall. And I guess they were right. I started playing tennis when I was six years old and fell in love with it immediately. I was very competitive as a child, and I still am. And I think tennis is a great sport to have fun and stay active. When I first started I didn’t think I was going to be a professional and make it this far, but over time, I became more and more serious about it, and my parents have been very supportive throughout my whole career.

NowVIZ: Congratulations on making this year’s 2024 Wimbledon semi-final! Will you talk about your play and what it meant to you?

Vekic: Thank you. It was a crazy run. Wimbledon is my favorite tournament to have had my best slam result so far in my career. It was very special. Hopefully, I will come back next year and play even better. I always enjoy playing on grass, it really suits my game. Wimbledon is a tournament that has so much history and the atmosphere is just amazing.

“It doesn’t need to be beautiful. It doesn’t need to be perfect. As long as you get through the opening rounds, you give yourself another chance to play better.”

“Many times I just wanted to give up. But I just kept going, believing deep down I can comeback.”

NowVIZ: In January 2021 you had knee surgery. You’ve said before that the couple of years after that were tough and you weren’t sure you could come back to a level to compete. Thinking about that time period now and what you have accomplished to date, what are your thoughts today?

Vekić: After my surgery, it was not easy. The rehab was very difficult and I was rushing to come back. I wanted to play. I didn’t want to miss out on a lot of tournaments. But after the Australia Open in 2022, I realized I had to take a couple of months off and really start from zero, which was not easy at all. I thought I was never going to come back to the level I had before surgery. But to now see how far I’ve come, and to know that I’ve even improved as a player from before my surgery, means a lot to me. I also put in a lot of work and it’s great to see all that hard work paying off, because at times it was not easy! Many times I just wanted to give up. But I just kept going, believing deep down I can come back. It was also with the help of my team because without them I don’t think I would be here today.

NowVIZ: As a top player how do you stay in control of your game mentally?

Vekić: It’s tough to stay in control of your mental side, especially throughout the year as it’s a very long season. You have a lot of ups and downs, so it’s just trying to be as consistent as possible. That’s what’s most important. Also, I think you have to accept the fact that you are going to have some bad days, but you cannot allow your bad days to turn into bad weeks. It’s not easy, but I’ve worked with a mental coach on a couple of things that have helped me stay more consistent, stay more calm on court, and believe in myself.

Donna Vekić on set working with photographer Andrea Mead Cross.

“I

also have a passion for fashion. I’ve been involved with Donna Sport designing the clothes that I wear on court and it’s very different than what I’m used to.”

NowVIZ: 2024 is fast becoming one of your most successful seasons on tour. Will you talk about your current mindset and what’s been the driving force behind your success? Will you also talk about the support from your coaches and team through your ups and downs?

Vekić: Yeah, it’s definitely been a very successful season so far, but the year is not over yet. I still have a lot of motivation to finish the year strong. With regards to the mindset, I was really struggling a lot before going into Roland Garros. I put in a lot of hard work in the off-season and throughout the beginning of the year, but I was just not getting the results I had hoped for. That was very frustrating. But it’s not easy in tennis; it’s a very tough sport. You’re playing every single week and traveling the whole year. It can be very tough and very lonely at times. I was finding myself really frustrated with my results–all that work I was putting in was not paying off. But I had a great team of people around me that were constantly pushing me. The loss I had at the French Open in the third round, in the third set tiebreak, was really heartbreaking, but it pushed me to work even harder and made me hungrier to win these kind of matches in the future. And that kind of paid off in the Olympics when I won the third set tiebreak against Kostyuk. This time I got it done.

I look at my team as my family. After all, I spend the most time with them, more then I spend with my parents and my brother! They are my coaches, but they’re also my friends. We get along very well off the court, and that’s something that’s very important to me. They have always been very direct, not just saying things that I want to hear, which, at times is not easy, but I always appreciate it. I know it’s what I need and it is the only way to help me get better. We’ve talked a lot about improving my fitness, which is something that can always improve. But I do feel like I’ve improved in the last couple of months and it shows on court.

NowVIZ: Pam Shriver has been a part of your team since 2022. You previously said about her, “She’s an amazing person, amazing mentor. I’m really proud to have her on my team.” Will you talk more about how she’s influenced you and as a player?

Vekić: Pam is an amazing person, she’s had such an incredible career and so much experience. And she’s willing to share that experience with me to become a better player and also help me to be a better person. I’m very grateful to have her be part of my team.

bhs

NowVIZ: Off the court, you started a Home Luxury Fragrance brand called, DNNA , that connects ecologically sustainable products with elegant internationally awarded design. Will you talk about the business and how it evolved? (Also a portion of proceeds go towards bee conservation in Croatia.)

Vekić: For years I have been obsessed with candles, interior diffusers, and scents in general. With DNNA, we started with candles and diffusers and now we’re going a little bit further into interior design. The idea is to make a home feel more cozy. Whenever I travel, I always have a candle with me. I think it makes me feel a lot better when I come back to the room and the room smells nice. It’s one reason I started my own line!

NowVIZ: What’s your passion when you’re not playing tennis?

Vekić: Other than candles and scents, I also have a passion for fashion. I’ve been involved with Donna Sport designing the clothes that I wear on court and it’s very different than what I’m used to. Usually, I just wear what they give me, but now I have a say in what I’m going to wear on court, and that’s really fun. The whole process of making the clothes and making the brand come to life, is definitely something new. When I’m done with my career, I’ll definitely have a lot more time to focus on DNNA and would like to get into interior design as well.

NowVIZ: What motivates and inspires you on a daily basis?

Vekić: What motivates me is my goal to win a Grand Slam one day, and hopefully I will get there! However, at the end of my career, I just want to be able to say that I’ve given it everything and if I win a Grand Slam great, but if not, I will still be happy and at peace with myself. What also inspires me is when I see little kids come up to me and say they want to play tennis or that they started playing tennis because of me. It really gives me great joy. We also built three tennis courts in my hometown of Osijek to help people get into tennis, whether it be professionally or just to be active. It’s a great sport and so seeing people take it up – that’s what inspires me.

DONNA VEKIĆ, PRO TENNIS PLAYER

I like all kinds of music, except country music. But after being in Cincinnati and buying hats and boots, maybe I will get into it. Lol! But yeah, my playlists are very diverse!

ENEA BASTIANINI, MOTOGP RIDER

My favorite music genre is classical, it’s very powerful and if you listen well it’s beautiful. My favorite classical song is “Divenire” by Ludovico Eiaudi. And my favorite band Linking Park.

GARY CLARK JR, MUSICIAN

Lee Morgan, John Coltrane, electronic R&B/alt-pop,B.B. King, the Jackson 5, and Muddy Waters to Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, and Childish Gambino.