It really is quite difficult to comprehend how vastly the future of a whole nation can change by the events of one dreary afternoon in the outer suburbs of London. One unexpected, exuberant and heart warming victory for a man would appear to have set a whole nation alight, setting it on course for unseen ventures. He may have broken British hearts, but Goran Ivanesivic’s victory at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships may have been the single, most important moment in the history of Croatian tennis.

It may seem odd, I hear you say, for me to even consider that such a small and impoverished nation could potentially rupture the very foundations of tennis’ elite. Yes, they may not have the funding of the Americans, the history of the Brits, or even the legends of the Swiss, but I believe it is clear that in the years to come, the Croats are going to be the ones to beat.

While they may have suffered from a few years of austerity, with the nation struggling to lived up to its billing after victory in the 2005 Davis Cup, the mediocre years appear to be nearing their end. At the moment, the nation has three men in the top 100. These three men, Ivan Dodig, Marin Cilic and Ivo Karlovic, while not legends of the game, certainly garner respect for their continued efforts and their eternal plight across the planet, as they seek to leave their mark. While Cilic may, sadly, be remembered for his off the court antics, rather than his sumptuous play, he is certainly no slouch. Having won several ATP titles, including Queen’s in 2012 to much controversy, he is always capable of beating anyone in the world, and recently defeated a sluggish Andy Murray.

Dodig and Karlovic will also be remembered for other aspects of their life rather than for their tennis. Dodig for his struggle to the top, where he had to sleep on park benches just to afford the air fare, is a truly heroic tale, and big serving Karlovic, as funny as he is kind.

And on the women’s side, well, there are no standouts to speak of. That is, no standouts to speak of as yet. No, the women’s game in Croatian tennis has all the promise and all the potential to go a very long way indeed. With three of their top 5 players being 90s children, and two the closer side of 95, one can expect an up and coming rush of Croatian women as they climb the rankings ladder.

Most notable of all, are two of the most talented young women in the game today. Twice junior Grand Slam champion Ana Konjuh has appeared from out of the shadows to become one of the hottest prospects in the game today. Winning both the US and Australian Open titles, becoming the first Croat girl to win both of these. Not to sit on her laurels, she started 2014 in surprising fashion, beating top seed Roberta Vinci in the ASB Classic, in not only her first match of the year, but her first match on the professional tour.

But, she is joined by a plucky group of youngsters who are just as keen, and perhaps just as talented. I have long advocated the talents of Donna Vekic, and while she may have hit somewhat of a standstill, with her ranking stuttering around the 100 mark, at 17, that is certainly no shameful thing. Having reached two WTA finals in the last two years, and previously been on the cusp of the top 60, Vekic stupefies this long list of talent.

'Every single one of these talented players would have been old enough to look and appreciate Goran Ivanesivic’s landmark victory'

And it is a rather similar tale on the side of the men, with two or three incredibly talented youngsters slowly but surely making a name for themselves. Anyone who attentively looked Great Britain’s victory in their World Cup playoff in September may already be familiar with Borna Coric. The teenager, and US Open junior champion, was thrown into the deep end in the tie, having to pull on his nation’s jersey due to the ban bestowed upon Cilic, and to add insult to injury, playing his first five set match against the wonderful Andy Murray. While he may have lost, one could not help but be drawn in by the talent eradicating from the young man’s racket.

What stands out in all of this is this, every single one of these talented players would have been old enough to look and appreciate Goran Ivanesivic’s landmark victory, and every one of them young enough to do something about it. Croatian tennis is on the rise, if only we could follow suit.