Borna Gojo on the road to recovery with victory in Sioux Falls

SIOUX FALLS, SD (Dakota News Now) – It’s taken almost two years, but Borna Gojo, the 26-year-old Croatian, is once again the singles champion on the ATP Challengers tour.

Gojo defeated American Colton Smith, the Arizona Wildcat, in straight sets to win the first title at the MarketBeat Open.

“A difficult task there at 4-3 in the second. I ended up with a broken back and just tried to take my time. Go point by point, don’t think too much ahead and concentrate on each point,” Gojo said.

While Gojo took the first set 6-1, Smith fought back and made the second set a close one. Gojo said it has been a wild ride, and having previously been in the final in Italy in 2022 and played against some of the world’s best Grand Slams helped prepare him for this moment.

“I expected him to be a little more nervous than me. I’m glad I was able to concentrate well in the beginning and get that first set quickly. Then when he settles, have a fight,” Gojo said.

But this year as a whole has been a wild ride for Gojo. After playing the first two weeks of January, he was sidelined for seven months with a back injury. He was previously ranked number 72 in the world and had to recover physically and mentally to be able to play again.

“Being at the top of your career and then just going back to zero. Mentally it wasn’t easy. I had a hard time, but always remained somewhat positive. I have been to all the doctors in this world to find a solution and I am happy that I am doing well now,” said Gojo.

Being part of history in Sioux Falls – winning the city’s first ever professional tennis tournament in singles – is something Gojo says he will continue to hold on to. Not only is it the city where he scored his first victory since his injury, he says he can hopefully inspire even one child in the watching crowd to give tennis a try.

“This will always be a special place, and I really hope that some kid saw us play and that he or she will be excited to pick up a racket and play tomorrow,” Gojo said.