1. Playing Career
Darija Jurak's professional tennis career spanned over two decades, during which she competed extensively across the ITF Circuit, WTA Tour, and various team competitions, primarily excelling in doubles.
1.1. Early Career and ITF Circuit
Darija Jurak turned professional in 2001. Her early career saw her primarily competing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit, where she amassed a notable record in both singles and doubles.
In singles, Jurak participated in 15 ITF finals, securing 8 titles and finishing as a runner-up 7 times. Her singles titles include:
- 2003 ITF Dubrovnik, Croatia
- 2003 ITF Zadar, Croatia
- 2003 ITF Fontanafredda, Italy
- 2005 ITF Bari, Italy
- 2005 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany
- 2006 ITF Rome, Italy
- 2006 ITF Rome-Parioli, Italy
- 2007 ITF Vienna, Austria
She was also a singles runner-up at:
- 2002 ITF Cavtat, Croatia
- 2003 ITF Cavtat, Croatia
- 2003 ITF Biograd, Croatia
- 2003 ITF Martina Franca, Italy
- 2006 ITF Capriolo, Italy
- 2009 Wiesbaden Open, Germany
- 2009 Reinert Open Versmold, Germany
In doubles, Jurak reached 64 ITF finals, winning 39 titles and finishing as a runner-up 25 times. Her extensive list of doubles titles on the ITF Circuit includes victories in:
- 2003 ITF Bergamo, Italy (with Ana Vrljić)
- 2003 ITF Cavtat, Croatia (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Dubrovnik, Croatia (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Biograd, Croatia (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Zadar, Croatia (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 Grado Tennis Cup, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Cuneo, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Martina Franca, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Rimini, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Torino, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Saint-Raphaël, France (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2003 ITF Průhonice, Czech Republic (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2004 Open de Saint-Malo, France (with Galina Voskoboeva)
- 2004 ITF Belgrade, Serbia (with Giulia Casoni)
- 2004 ITF Dubrovnik, Croatia (with Lucija Krzelj)
- 2004 ITF Dubrovnik, Croatia (with Lucija Krzelj)
- 2005 ITF Stuttgart, Germany (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2005 ITF Grenoble, France (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2005 ITF Buchen, Germany (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2005 ITF Taranto, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2005 ITF Fontanafredda, Italy (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2005 ITF Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic (with Renata Voráčová)
- 2006 ITF Stuttgart, Germany (with Renata Voráčová)
- 2006 ITF Rome, Italy (with Carmen Klaschka)
- 2006 ITF Padova, Italy (with Renata Voráčová)
- 2007 Maribor Open, Slovenia (with Michaela Paštiková)
- 2008 ITF Gorizia, Italy (with Lisa Sabino)
- 2009 ITF Laguna Niguel, U.S. (with Vanessa Henke)
- 2009 Zagreb Ladies Open, Croatia (with Renata Voráčová)
- 2009 ITF Zwevegem, Belgium (with Elena Chalova)
- 2009 ITF Wahlstedt, Germany (with Neda Kozić)
- 2010 Open de Cagnes-sur-Mer, France (with Mervana Jugić-Salkić)
- 2011 Open Andrézieux-Bouthéon, France (with Valeria Savinykh)
- 2011 ITF Stuttgart, Germany (with Anaïs Laurendon)
- 2011 Sofia Cup, Bulgaria (with Nina Bratchikova)
- 2011 Open de Saint-Malo, France (with Nina Bratchikova)
- 2011 Dubai Tennis Challenge, UAE (with Nina Bratchikova)
- 2011 Ankara Cup, Turkey (with Nina Bratchikova)
- 2018 Chiasso Open, Switzerland (with Jessica Moore)
1.2. WTA Tour
Darija Jurak's most significant achievements came on the WTA Tour, particularly in doubles, where she earned nine titles and reached numerous finals.
1.2.1. Major Doubles Achievements
In 2021, Jurak achieved two significant doubles victories. Partnering with Alexa Guarachi, she won the doubles title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating the Chinese duo of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan in straight sets. Later that year, alongside Andreja Klepač, she triumphed at the Silicon Valley Classic, securing a victory over Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani. The following week, Jurak and Klepač reached the final of the Canadian Open, but were defeated by Dabrowski and Stefani in a reversal of their previous encounter.
1.2.2. WTA Tour Finals (Doubles)
Darija Jurak competed in 22 WTA Tour doubles finals, winning 9 titles and finishing as runner-up 13 times. Her finals appearances are detailed below:
| Results | W-L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 | Jul 2012 | Palermo Ladies Open, Italy | International | Clay | Katalin Marosi | Renata Voráčová Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová | 6-7(5-7), 4-6 |
| Loss | 0-2 | May 2013 | Estoril Open, Portugal | International | Clay | Katalin Marosi | Chan Hao-ching Kristina Mladenovic | 6-7(3-7), 2-6 |
| Loss | 0-3 | Jul 2013 | Silicon Valley Classic, United States | Premier | Hard | Julia Görges | Raquel Kops-Jones Abigail Spears | 2-6, 6-7(4-7) |
| Win | 1-3 | Apr 2014 | Monterrey Open, Mexico | International | Hard | Megan Moulton-Levy | Tímea Babos Olga Govortsova | 7-6(7-5), 3-6, [11-9] |
| Loss | 1-4 | Apr 2015 | Charleston Open, United States | Premier | Clay | Casey Dellacqua | Martina Hingis Sania Mirza | 0-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 1-5 | Oct 2015 | Tianjin Open, China | International | Hard | Nicole Melichar | Xu Yifan Zheng Saisai | 2-6, 6-3, [8-10] |
| Win | 2-5 | Feb 2016 | Dubai Tennis Championships, UAE | Premier | Hard | Chuang Chia-jung | Caroline Garcia Kristina Mladenovic | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Win | 3-5 | Jun 2016 | Eastbourne International, UK | Premier | Grass | Anastasia Rodionova | Chan Hao-ching Chan Yung-jan | 5-7, 7-6(7-4), [10-6] |
| Loss | 3-6 | Jul 2016 | Silicon Valley Classic, United States | Premier | Hard | Anastasia Rodionova | Raquel Atawo Abigail Spears | 3-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 3-7 | Feb 2017 | St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, Russia | Premier | Hard (i) | Xenia Knoll | Jeļena Ostapenko Alicja Rosolska | 6-3, 2-6, [5-10] |
| Win | 4-7 | Mar 2017 | Mexican Open, Mexico | International | Hard | Anastasia Rodionova | Verónica Cepede Royg Mariana Duque | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Win | 5-7 | Aug 2018 | Washington Open, United States | International | Hard | Han Xinyun | Alexa Guarachi Erin Routliffe | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Loss | 5-8 | Sep 2018 | Tournoi de Québec, Canada | International | Carpet (i) | Xenia Knoll | Asia Muhammad Maria Sanchez | 4-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 5-9 | Oct 2018 | Kremlin Cup, Russia | Premier | Hard (i) | Raluca Olaru | Alexandra Panova Laura Siegemund | 2-6, 6-7(2-7) |
| Win | 6-9 | Aug 2019 | Bronx Open, United States | International | Hard | María José Martínez Sánchez | Margarita Gasparyan Monica Niculescu | 7-5, 2-6, [10-7] |
| Loss | 6-10 | Jan 2020 | Adelaide International, Australia | Premier | Hard | Gabriela Dabrowski | Nicole Melichar Xu Yifan | 6-2, 5-7, [5-10] |
| Win | 7-10 | Mar 2021 | Dubai Championships, UAE | WTA 1000 | Hard | Alexa Guarachi | Xu Yifan Yang Zhaoxuan | 6-0, 6-3 |
| Loss | 7-11 | May 2021 | Emilia-Romagna Open, Italy | WTA 250 | Clay | Andreja Klepač | Coco Gauff Caty McNally | 3-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 8-11 | Jun 2021 | Bad Homburg Open, Germany | WTA 250 | Grass | Andreja Klepač | Nadiia Kichenok Raluca Olaru | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Win | 9-11 | Aug 2021 | Silicon Valley Classic, United States | WTA 500 | Hard | Andreja Klepač | Gabriela Dabrowski Luisa Stefani | 6-1, 7-5 |
| Loss | 9-12 | Aug 2021 | Canadian Open, Canada | WTA 1000 | Hard | Andreja Klepač | Gabriela Dabrowski Luisa Stefani | 3-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 9-13 | Jan 2022 | Adelaide International, Australia | WTA 500 | Hard | Andreja Klepač | Ashleigh Barty Storm Sanders | 1-6, 4-6 |
1.3. Grand Slam Doubles Performance
Darija Jurak participated in the doubles events of all four Grand Slam tournaments throughout her career. Her best performances were reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2021 and the quarterfinals of the French Open in the same year.
| Tournament | 2004 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Win-loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 1R | A | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 3R | SF | 1R | 8-12 |
| French Open | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | QF | 8-12 | |
| Wimbledon | 1R | Q1 | Q1 | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | NH | 1R | 5-10 | |
| US Open | A | 1R | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 5-11 | |
| Win-loss | 0-3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 4-4 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 9-4 | 0-1 | 26-45 |
In mixed doubles, Jurak reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2021 and the third round of Wimbledon in 2021. She also participated in the mixed doubles at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she exited in the first round.
1.4. World TeamTennis and Team Competitions
Darija Jurak was an active participant in World TeamTennis (WTT), playing for six seasons. She was a member of the San Diego Aviators team that won the King Cup in 2016, clinching the WTT Championships. Her WTT career began in 2013 with the Texas Wild, returning in 2014. She then played for the Aviators from 2015 to 2017. In 2019, Jurak joined the expansion Orlando Storm for their inaugural season, and later rejoined the Storm for the 2020 season. In 2020, she partnered with Jessica Pegula in women's doubles, helping the Storm secure a No. 3 seed in the WTT Playoffs, where they eventually lost to the Chicago Smash in the semifinals.
Additionally, Jurak represented her country as a member of the Croatia Fed Cup team. As of March 2024, she had accumulated a win-loss record of 19-8 in Fed Cup competitions.
1.5. WTA Challenger Tour
Darija Jurak also competed in the WTA Challenger Tour events, reaching one doubles final. She was a runner-up at the Dalian Open in China in September 2015, where she partnered with Chan Chin-wei and lost to the Chinese pair of Zhang Kailin and Zheng Saisai with a score of 3-6, 4-6.
2. Retirement
Darija Jurak played her last professional match in 2022, marking her retirement from professional tennis after a long and successful career.
3. Career Statistics
Darija Jurak's professional career statistics reflect her strong focus and success in doubles.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Career Prize Money | 1.66 M USD |
| Singles Record (Win-Loss) | 313-254 |
| Doubles Record (Win-Loss) | 539-432 |
| Singles Titles | 0 WTA, 8 ITF |
| Doubles Titles | 9 WTA, 39 ITF |
| Highest Singles Ranking | No. 188 (April 5, 2004) |
| Highest Doubles Ranking | No. 9 (November 15, 2021) |