A reader of The Dubrovnik Times, currently attending The Championships at Wimbledon, kindly shared this striking image from the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum—a proud tribute to Croatian tennis legend Goran Ivanišević.
The display, titled “To Have and To Hold”, features the unforgettable quote from Ivanišević after his historic 2001 Wimbledon win:
“This is so great to touch the trophy. If I never win another match I don’t care. Whatever I do, wherever I go, I’m going to be a Wimbledon Champion.”
The photo captures a moment that still resonates deeply with Croatians and tennis fans worldwide. Goran, who entered the tournament as a wild card ranked 125th in the world, defied the odds to claim the title—becoming the first and only male wild card to ever win Wimbledon.
His story is one of resilience, passion, and national pride—and seeing this tribute at the All England Club more than two decades later is a reminder of that magical summer in 2001 when Croatia had a Wimbledon champion.
Thank you to our reader for sharing this reminder of sporting greatness from the hallowed grounds of SW19.
