SANTIAGO, Chile – Laslo Djere won more than just a title and 250 points. The Serbian found answers in South America to the doubts that had been tormenting and confusing him. And for a tennis player struggling with uncertainty and low confidence, that means a lot. A whole lot.
Would he be able to play his best tennis again? What if the end of his professional career was closer than he had once believed? These questions kept troubling the former world No. 27 and 2019 Rio Open champion after undergoing surgery on his right elbow in early April — a procedure that cost him his confidence and saw his ranking drop out of the top 100: “I started doubting myself.”
“A couple of times, I thought maybe the end of my career was closer than I had believed. I always thought I wanted to play until I was 35 or 36, but I really started to doubt it,” Djere revealed during press conference at the Chile Open. Moments earlier, he had thrown himself to the ground on the centre court and later celebrated by pointing his fingers to the sky — a tribute he always makes to his parents, both of whom passed away from cancer.
Djere defeated Sebastián Báez 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the Chile Open final. It was his third ATP Tour title — a completely unexpected triumph that restored his self-confidence and showed him that he still has several years of his career ahead.
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“The recovery wasn’t easy, not only because of my elbow. I felt new pains in different parts of my body every time I stepped on the court. I got injured a couple of times, and now this title has come — something I really didn’t expect. It was a surprise,” said Djere, who will rise to No. 71 in the rankings on Monday.
Was winning a title after almost five years a relief?
“What really was a relief was playing well in Buenos Aires, winning matches, and getting back into the top 100. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it. Here in Santiago, when I reached the quarterfinals, I secured my spot in the main draw of Roland Garros. Everything that came after that was just a bonus,” said the Chile Open champion, responding to CLAY on a chilly night at Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, at the foot of the Andes Mountains.
