Dodig Tennis Center (DTC) is a major project led by the Dodig brothers - Ivan, Željko, and Mladen "Mišo" - whose construction has already begun. As multiple Grand Slam winner Ivan Dodig stated in an interview with FENA, his dream is for Međugorje to one day host an ATP tournament.
"As a child, I started playing tennis. My uncle built a tennis court and founded a tennis club where both Marin Čilić and I began our careers. From that small court emerged two top players, and it has always been my wish to give back and create a serious global tennis center. One of my desires is to bring many people from outside to our region through sports, to show them how beautiful our area is, to develop the sport, and to allow many young people to find their path in this sport in the future. My brothers and I have been involved in this sport for over 30 years, and we want our young ones to have the best conditions, the best coaches, and ultimately, for those who aspire to succeed, to have that opportunity close to home, here in our region. We have incredible conditions and predispositions; we just lacked tennis facilities and a top-notch tennis center," said Ivan Dodig, a Croatian tennis player from Međugorje.
The Dodig Tennis Center (DTC) will feature six modern tennis courts equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. One court will have a clay surface, while the other five will have hard surfaces, including a central court - a modern arena covering 1,200 square meters, with seating for 2,000 spectators.
DTC will also have four padel courts, providing an incredible experience for enthusiasts of this increasingly popular dynamic sport. The plan includes covering the courts to enable year-round use and the organization of professional competitions.
"The opening of the center will hopefully be completed within two years; a part of it should be open next year and will be accessible to our local players. The center will contain all modern tennis courts, six of them, meeting world standards, suitable for hosting all major tournaments, from juniors to professionals, as well as Davis Cup matches. Our goal is for people from various parts of the world to come here, and for the biggest tournaments to be held in Herzegovina. A large number of people have already recognized this project, a project of the entire community and our country; people from other countries who have recognized this beautiful story are reaching out, and that's what excites me," said Croatia's top tennis player.
In addition to tennis and padel courts, DTC will have apartments, a clubhouse, bars, restaurants, a fitness center, saunas, a museum, shops, multiple lounge areas, and multifunctional spaces, as well as numerous other sports facilities.
ATP Međugorje - one of the goals
His great desire is for Međugorje to become the host of an ATP tournament in the future.
"Our goal in the initial phase is to organize Futures and Challenger tournaments, to build a good image. ATP is certainly the future we aspire to, and we need to prove ourselves at smaller tournaments before moving on to bigger stages. We have good sports references; we will have good facilities, and we will strive for it. It would be a beautiful story if we could have ATP Međugorje in the future, and that would be the realization of a dream," he said.
In addition to sports, DTC is expected to bring numerous other benefits to Međugorje, the municipality of Čitluk, and Herzegovina.
"Our plan is to have a large number of employees, certainly between 30 and 50 people at the beginning. A large number of events are planned, many tournaments, humanitarian, competitive, children's, international, local. We will have about 30 to 35 weeks of activities; we already have a prepared plan for various types of competitions for all ages, from professionals to children. There will be many job openings, and I think it will be a positive story for our region," believes the tennis player from Međugorje.
Dodig's sporting plans for this year
Ivan Dodig has won one ATP singles title, a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and seven Grand Slam titles in doubles - Australian Open (2021) and two Roland Garros (2015, 2023) in men's doubles, Wimbledon (2019), Australian Open (2022), and two Roland Garros (2018, 2019) in mixed doubles, as well as the Davis Cup with the Croatian tennis team in 2018.
Even at the age of 39, he continues his active tennis career.
"My body is good; I've rested, and big tournaments are coming up. Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the Olympic Games - these are all major tournaments coming up in the next few months. As for my form, I'm doing great. I took a bit more rest; after all, I'm a man in his later years, competing against many younger players, but I'm playing well, I'm satisfied, and I enjoy the sport I love," Dodig said.
Regarding his participation in Paris, Dodig is not yet sure if he will defend the silver Olympic medal in doubles with his godfather Marin Čilić, who is recovering from an injury.
"Honestly, I don't know. We're in touch, and I hope he can recover and get ready. He's been out of tennis for a long time and has major knee problems. It would be nice if we could play together, but I'm here to help. We'll see who will play with whom and what; anyway, it's nice to be a candidate for the Olympic Games again this year. There are still some arrangements in the team, and we'll see how it all ends," revealed Dodig.
The only title missing for him to complete all Grand Slams is the US Open.
"That has been the goal even last year; I have won all other Grand Slams. I have reached three semifinals at the US Open, and I would like to win it; that's a big goal. I'm satisfied with everything I've achieved; those are significant results. People dream of playing at Wimbledon or other Grand Slams, not to mention winning them," said the tennis player from Međugorje.
Međugorje - a tennis phenomenon
In conclusion, he reflected on Međugorje as a tennis phenomenon, a small place from which two great tennis players emerged.
"It's hard to say and analyze why two excellent tennis players come from small Međugorje, but I think we were given a talent for tennis, just like many other athletes have talents for other sports. Two young guys started from Međugorje, where tennis wasn't popular at all. We succeeded; we found our path, were persistent, and were given a talent from God to develop it. We sacrificed a lot for this sport. What makes me happiest is if we can be an example and inspiration to someone, especially someone from our Međugorje, our Herzegovina. I hope our results will encourage many young athletes in the future," concluded Dodig. / FENA
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