Donna Vekic adds Sascha Bajin to her coaching team for 2025

Donna Vekic is adding a Grand Slam-winning coach to her team in 2025. The Croatian announced on social media this week that she's begun working with Sascha Bajin after a two-year revival under the tutelage of Nikola Horvat and International Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver.

After ending two straight seasons outside the Top 60, Vekic returned to the year-end Top 25 in 2023 before 28-year-old had a banner 2024, particularly in the second half. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and became the first Croatian woman to land on the tennis podium at the Olympic Games en route to a career-high ranking of No. 18. On her way to the silver medal, Vekic upset Coco Gauff, and saved a match point en route to defeating Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.

At the end of November, Horvat announced that he and Vekic mututally agreed to part ways with his wife expecting twins, though Shriver reportedly will stay on Vekic's team as a consultant.

Read more: Hubert Hurkacz hires Ivan Lendl and Nicolas Massu for coaching team ahead of 2025 season

Vekic unveiled her new partnership with Bajin with a post to her Instagram story, dropping a warm welcome to him.

Famously Serena Williams' hitting partner for eight years, and other stints in that role with Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki, Bajin made a name for himself as a head coach with his two-year partnership with Naomi Osaka from 2017-19. Osaka won two major titles working with Bajin, who was named the 2018 WTA Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Since then, Bajin had notable stints with Kristina Mladenovic, Dayana Yastremska and Karolina Pliskova, who reached the 2021 Wimbledon final when during the first of their two stints together. After splitting with Pliskova for a second time in July of 2023, the Serbian-born German briefly worked with American Alycia Parks in 2024 during the Sunshine Double.