Filip Misolic is eagerly anticipating his debut in the main draw of the French Open. Even the day after his successful performance in the third and final qualifying round of the clay-court Grand Slam, he still couldn't quite believe his career milestone. "It's a huge moment, the feeling is incredible. I still can't believe I'm in the main draw," said the Austrian player on Saturday. In the first round, he will face Otto Virtanen.
The Finnish player initially failed to qualify but entered the main draw as a lucky loser due to the withdrawal of Australian Christopher O’Connell. Virtanen is ranked 156th in the world, significantly lower than O’Connell, who is ranked 68th. What Misolic had called a "good" draw has turned out to be even more favorable from his perspective. The two 22-year-olds have
never played against each other before their upcoming match on Monday.
Misolic is currently ranked 243rd in the world and spends a lot of time training in Croatia, mostly in Zagreb. "I would come to Austria more often if the training facilities were better," explained the Kitzbühel finalist from 2022.
Since then, Austria's number six player, whose favorite surface is clay, has evolved his game. "I've worked a lot on my forehand, it's much better now, and I'm also doing more with my serve. I've got those two aspects well under control now," Misolic elaborated. His backhand remains a standout feature of his game.
Trainer Effect on Misolic?
Velimir Zovko, who recently became Misolic's coach, hopes to bring further improvements. Zovko is a familiar name, also serving as the Croatian Davis Cup captain since the beginning of the year. "The change hasn't had much impact on my game yet, but it has definitely given me new energy, which is helping me for sure," said the world number 241. Misolic and his previous coach, Ante Andric, mutually decided to make a change after five and a half years.
In the qualifiers, Misolic was supported by his girlfriend and fitness trainer, who are expected to enjoy more of his matches in the main draw. "I feel good and want to keep going. Let's see how it goes." If he advances past Virtanen, Misolic could face either Francisco Cerundolo (ARG-23) or Yannick Hanfmann (GER) in the second round. However, even if he doesn't advance, Roland Garros will have been "a great experience" for him. "It's a tailwind for me, a great reward for the hard work put in, an important moment for me."
This moment is also significant financially. Just for reaching the first round, players earn 73,000 euros, and second-round losers receive 110,000 euros.
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