The exit of No. 2-seed Simona Halep from the third round of the U.S. Open was hard to see coming. The reemergence of qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is something no one could have seen coming.
Battling back from an early 5-2 deficit, Lucic-Baroni pulled the stunning upset, 7-6 (6), 6-2, on the Grandstand on Friday afternoon, sending the Croatian to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since reaching the 1999 Wimbledon semifinals.
The moment was familiar, but the feeling was new, a strange blend of what she’d envisioned and what she wasn’t entirely prepared for.
Lucic-Baroni’s post-match press conference started with smiles, but transitioned to tears, as the 32-year-old took a few seconds to take a 15-year journey through her mind, recounting the one-and-a-half decade struggle to arrive at what she definitively called the “best day of my life.”
“I’m a little bit emotional. … It’s been really hard,” Lucic-Baroni said, needing a few seconds to compose herself. “After so many years to be here again, it’s incredible. I wanted this so bad. … In a way I know I sound like and I feel like a little kid, like this is the first time ever happening. I don’t know. I love the feeling. I’m really happy.
“It’s surprising to be here in a way because it’s been so long, but I worked so hard for this.”
Lucic-Baroni already had won the junior singles titles at the U.S. Open and Australian Open before making her breakthrough run at Wimbledon at 17, beating Monica Seles and nearly besting Steffi Graf.
The future was clear and it was beautiful. An incredible career was beginning.
“I remember it was really exciting, but back then it was so normal,” Lucic-Baroni said. “I was so young and I was so good and I was winning so much. … It wasn’t really a big deal. It was just a natural progression.”
Lucic-Baroni escaped hardship to turn pro at 15, moving to Florida with her mother and siblings, while leaving behind a father she alleges had physically abused her for years, but her career began crumbling before it truly had a chance to peak.
After dealing with minor injuries and mental exhaustion, she faced tremendous financial hardships, limiting how much she was able to travel and play.
Though she continued to train, Lucic-Baroni only played in two matches from 2004 to 2006. Following a first-round loss in the 2002 U.S. Open, she did not appear in another Grand Slam for nearly eight years, mostly playing qualifying and lower-level matches, as her ranking sunk as low as 721st in the world.
“I mean, it’s really uncomfortable for me to talk about it. Obviously that was the main reason why I didn’t play,” said Lucic-Baroni, referring to her financial problems. “It wasn’t any lack of desire or anything. It’s just circumstances were such. I was still waiting for my opportunities.
“I have been putting in the hours all these years [but] until you make results, it looks like you’re kind of half there.”
Back on the tour full-time since 2010, Lucic-Baroni arrived in New York without the slightest whisper, ranked No. 121 in the world. Describing herself as “paralyzed” by the pressure of playing in majors in recent years, she overcame breaks in the third set of two qualifying matches, beginning her magical run to the fourth round, where she will face 13th-seeded Sara Errani.
Friday may have been the best day of Lucic-Baroni’s life, but a new winner may soon be crowned. If not, it was still all worth it.
“I feel goofy right now. I feel like I’m 15 now,” Lucic-Baroni said. “I feel so excited. It’s crazy. I’m 32, but I don’t feel like that. … I still have so much desire, so much to play. … People don’t realize how much I want this and how hard I worked for this.
“It’s these moments in these last two weeks that are just, I mean, it’s what I work for. It’s just so fulfilling, so amazing.”