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Tennis star fled abusive father, worked as cashier in America
🇭🇷 Croatia /Sports

Tennis star fled abusive father, worked as cashier in America

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, once hailed as a tennis prodigy, has a difficult life story marked by abuse and struggle.
  • She achieved early success, winning a WTA title at 15 and reaching the Australian Open doubles final with Martina Hingis.
  • Lučić-Baroni fled an abusive father with her family, seeking asylum in the U.S. and later working odd jobs to survive before finding stability and returning to tennis.

Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, a name once synonymous with tennis prodigy, has emerged from a life shadowed by abuse and hardship to share her remarkable story. Born in Dortmund, Germany, in 1982, Lučić-Baroni moved to Makarska, Croatia, where her father, Marinko, took charge of her burgeoning tennis career.

Goran saved my life. I will never forget him.

— Mirjana Lučić-BaroniThe former tennis player expressing gratitude to Goran Ivanišević for his help during her escape from an abusive situation.

At just 15, Lučić-Baroni turned professional, immediately capturing the WTA title in Bol in 1997. Her early career was studded with significant achievements, including reaching the final in Strasbourg against Steffi Graf and, in 1998, winning the Australian Open doubles title with Martina Hingis at the age of 15 years and 10 months, setting a record for the youngest champion at Melbourne Park. By 1999, she reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, defeating Monica Seles before falling to Graf.

However, behind the on-court success lay a dark reality. Lučić-Baroni bravely revealed the extent of her father's abusive behavior, detailing the physical and psychological torment inflicted upon her family. With the help of fellow Croatian tennis star Goran Ivanišević, Mirjana, her mother Anđelka, and her siblings were secretly moved near Zagreb while seeking political asylum in the United States. They eventually fled to New York under armed guard.

I think 98 percent of people in my place would have ended up in psychiatry, because when someone maltreats you like that at 15, it can't be normal.

— Mirjana Lučić-BaroniReflecting on the psychological impact of the abuse she endured.

"Goran saved my life. I will never forget him," Lučić-Baroni stated, reflecting on the ordeal. She credited her mother's strength for holding the family together. After arriving in the U.S., her father reportedly took all their money, forcing her to work as a cashier to survive and temporarily halting her tennis career. A turning point came when she met Italian businessman Daniel Baroni, whom she married in 2007. This stability allowed her to return to tennis, achieving further success, including another significant milestone in 2017.

I managed to get out, thanks above all to my mother Anđelka who is a very strong woman. She kept us together. I wouldn't have lasted alone.

— Mirjana Lučić-BaroniAcknowledging her mother's crucial role in her survival and the family's cohesion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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