Rising tennis star plays for Australia...and Croatia

19-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic isn't yet an Australian citizen, but she's been playing for Australia at the Australian Open.

Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia plays Varvara Lepchenko

Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia plays Varvara Lepchenko of the USA in their round 2 match

How common is it for a professional tennis player to represent one country at the Grand Slams and play under the flag of another at the smaller tournaments?

That's exactly the kind of divided loyalty 19-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic is living.

The Croatian-born world number 67 played her first Australian Open as a contender for the home team in Melbourne this year.

She is an Australian resident, but until Tomljanovic is granted citizenship she's likely to still play tour events for Croatia.

Kristina Kukolja asked Ajla Tomljanovic whether she approached Tennis Australia to make the transition?

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By Kristina Kukolja


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