Donna Vekic's Incredible Comeback: From Surgery to Wimbledon Semi-Finals

Donna Vekic, after knee surgery and facing tough challenges, reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. Overcoming formidable opponent Lula Sun, Vekic secured a spot in the semi-final, setting up a clash for a place in Saturday's final. Her persistence and teamwork led to this career milestone.

Donna Vekic nearly quit tennis following knee surgery three years ago but now finds herself in her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 43rd attempt. The 28-year-old Croatian ended Lula Sun's Wimbledon run with a dramatic 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory on Tuesday.

Vekic, who battled with form and fitness post-surgery, broke into tears after defeating the 123rd-ranked qualifier. She is now set to face either seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or 19th seed Emma Navarro in Saturday's final.

'Those couple of years were tough,' Vekic admitted, reflecting on her journey. 'Now, reaching my best result ever at a Grand Slam, I'm really proud of the work my team and I have put in.'

Unseeded, Vekic also became the second Croatian woman to reach the All England Club semis, emulating Mirjana Lucic's 1999 feat. The match was not without its challenges as Sun initially took a set lead.

However, Vekic turned the match around, capitalizing on a series of Sun's errors. A decisive third set saw Vekic storm ahead to a 5-0 lead, dashing Sun's hopes of making a historic semi-final appearance.

The victory marks a significant milestone in Vekic's career, joining a rare group of women who needed numerous Grand Slam appearances to attain their first semi-final since the Open Era began in 1968.

(With inputs from agencies.)