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Željko Krajan

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Željko Krajan
Krajan in 2024
Country (sports) Croatia
ResidenceVaraždin, Croatia
Born (1979-02-03) 3 February 1979 (age 45)
Varaždin, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Turned pro1997
PlaysRight-handed
Prize money$284,128
Singles
Career record9–28 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 88 (19 August 2002)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (2003)
French Open1R (2003)
Wimbledon1R (2003)
US OpenQ2 (2002)
Doubles
Career record0–2 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 371 (0 November 1998)

Željko Krajan (Croatian pronunciation: [ʒêːʎko ˈkrajan];[tone and vowel length of the surname? Short A!];[1] born 3 February 1979) is a Croatian tennis coach and former professional player.

Playing career

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Krajan, a native of Varaždin, began playing tennis at age six.[2] His greatest success as a junior player was winning the Orange Bowl doubles tournament with Ivan Ljubičić in 1995.[3]

Krajan started his pro career at the ATP Tour in 1997.[2] His highest ATP ranking was No. 88 in August 2002.[2] In 2003 Krajan was sidelined following a shoulder surgery.[4] In 2004 he suffered a serious quadriceps tear, which ultimately caused his retirement from professional tennis in 2005.[4]

Coaching career

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From 2005 on, Krajan turned to coaching, at first working with Saša Tuksar, a young Croatian tennis player, and then with German junior players as Heinz Günthardt's assistant coach.[4][5] In 2006 and 2007 he played in the German Regionalliga Süd-Ost for TC Ismaning.[citation needed] In October 2007, upon recommendation by Ivan Ljubičić, he became the coach of Dinara Safina,[4][6] who was at the time at a psychological low point of her career, ranked No. 17 in the world, and close to retiring from tennis.[5][7] Under Krajan's lead, Safina scored good results in the early 2008 season and placed runner-up in the 2008 French Open. After the 2008 French Open, Krajan was joined by Dejan Vojnović, retired Croatian Olympic sprinter, who became Safina's fitness coach.[8] Her continued string of good results earned her the 2008 WTA Most Improved Player award, and the World No. 1 spot in April 2009.[9] Safina described Krajan as "totally different from any other tennis coach" due to his patience and positive approach, as opposed to being preoccupied with correcting flaws in one's game.[7][10]

Safina and Krajan parted ways in May 2010.[11] In June of the same year Krajan started coaching Dominika Cibulková.[12] Krajan ceased working with Cibulkova in April 2012.[13] In January 2012 Krajan took over coaching of the Croatian Davis Cup team.[14] From April to June 2012 Krajan worked with Jelena Janković on trial basis.[15] In August 2012 Krajan began coaching Laura Robson, until they parted ways in May 2013, before the Mutua Madrid Open.[16]

Since May 2013, he returned to work in the ATP, coaching Former World No. 8 and Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.[17]

In November 2014, Borna Ćorić decided to take Krajan as his new coach.[18]

In April 2015, he left Ćorić and has quit being his coach to spend more time with his family.

On 25 November 2018, he won the Davis Cup with the national team.

On 9 November 2019, just nine days before the Davis Cup, he parted ways with the national team.[19]

In February 2024, Krajan started coaching former world number 1, Karolína Plíšková. [20]

ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals

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Singles: 9 (6–3)

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Legend
ATP Challenger (1–2)
ITF Futures (5–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–0)
Clay (5–3)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Aug 1998 Slovenia F4, Ljubljana Futures Clay Czech Republic Jan Vacek 6–3, 6–3
Win 2–0 Aug 1998 Croatia F6, Umag Futures Clay Croatia Ivo Karlović 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Win 3–0 May 1999 Germany F4, Villingen Futures Clay Sweden Johan Settergren 6–4, 6–1
Win 4–0 Jun 1999 Germany F4B, Riemerling Futures Clay Australia James Sekulov 6–4, 4–6, 6–0
Loss 4–1 Aug 2001 Geneva, Switzerland Challenger Clay Netherlands Dennis Van Scheppingen 3–6, 2–6
Win 5–1 Sep 2001 Kamnik, Slovenia Challenger Clay Greece Vasilis Mazarakis 6–2, 3–6, 7–6(9–7)
Loss 5–2 Jun 2002 Weiden, Germany Challenger Clay Peru Luis Horna 0–6, 4–6
Win 6–2 Jan 2005 Germany F2, Stuttgart Futures Hard Germany Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh 6–3, 6–4
Loss 6–3 Sep 2005 Germany F14, Kempten Futures Clay Republic of Ireland Louk Sorensen 6–4, 3–6, 5–7

Doubles: 4 (2–2)

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Legend
ATP Challenger (0–0)
ITF Futures (2–2)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (1–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Jun 1998 Croatia F1, Veli Lošinj Futures Clay Croatia Saša Hiršzon Croatia Ivo Karlović
Croatia Igor Saric 		7–6, 6–3
Loss 1–1 Feb 2000 Croatia F1, Zagreb Futures Hard Croatia Roko Karanušić Croatia Ivica Ančić
Croatia Mario Ančić 		4–6, 7–5, 5–7
Loss 1–2 May 2000 Germany F3, Teurershof Futures Clay Croatia Lovro Zovko Netherlands Bobbie Altelaar
Germany Jan Weinzierl 		4–6, 5–7
Win 2–2 Feb 2001 France F5, Bressuire Futures Hard Croatia Ivan Cinkus Italy Alessandro Motti
Italy Andrea Stoppini 		6–4, 6–1

References

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  1. ^ "žèljeti". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-17. Žȇljko
  2. ^ a b c Željko Krajan at the Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved on June 9, 2008
  3. ^ "Matea Mezak nova nada hrvatskog tenisa" (PDF). Vjesnik (in Croatian). December 30, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2002. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d "Rad sa Safinom pravi je užitak" (in Croatian). April 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  5. ^ a b Sinovčić, Dean (April 21, 2009). "Varaždinac doveo Safinu do vrha" [Native of Varaždin leads Safina to the top] (in Croatian). Nacional. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  6. ^ Gabrovec, Gordan (June 8, 2008). "Dinara igra kao muškarac". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Safina: Krajan mi je možda i spasio karijeru!". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). September 30, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  8. ^ Bilić, Marko (June 21, 2008). "Najbrži Hrvat uzima Dinaru Safinu pod svoje". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved August 29, 2008.
  9. ^ "Dinara Safina info". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  10. ^ "Kako je Željko Krajan od Safine napravio svjetski broj 1?". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). June 5, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  11. ^ "Dinara Safina Breaks Up With Coach Zeljko Krajan". gototennis.com. May 23, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  12. ^ "Safina's ex-coach Krajan signs with Cibulkova". tennis.com. June 14, 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Cibulkova splits from coach Zeljko Krajan". tennis.com. April 14, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  14. ^ "Željko Krajan potvrđen kao izbornik hrvatske Davis cup reprezentacije". Index.hr (in Croatian). March 3, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  15. ^ "Jankovic hires Zeljko Krajan on trial basis". tennis.com. April 16, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  16. ^ "Laura Robson splits from coach Zeljko Krajan after nine months". BBC. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  17. ^ "News".
  18. ^ "ŽELJKO KRAJAN NOVI TRENER BORNE ĆORIĆA! Novi hrvatski tandem za uspon prema teniskom vrhu – Sportske novosti". sportske.jutarnji.hr. Archived from the original on 2014-11-04.
  19. ^ "Potres uoči Davis Cupa: Željko Krajan više nije izbornik hrvatske reprezentacije". gol.dnevnik.hr. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Former No.1 Pliskova finds her momentum and a new coach in Krajan". wtatennis.
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