Comeback king Coric eager to prove himself

Newly-crowned ATP Comeback king Borna Coric is eager to build upon his new status by charging into the 2023 season.

The Croat who came back from months of shoulder problem to lift the Cincinnati Masters title in August, is fine-tuning this weekend at the Abu Dhabi exhibition.

His main objective is to stay healthy: “I don’t want to set too many goals, but that (Top 10 ranking) would be the next step for me,” the one-time No. 12 told local media in the UAE.

“The most important thing is to be healthy and then the results will come.”

Coric, currently standing 26th, called last season “a good year for me.”

“That week in Cincinnati – he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final – has shown me that I can compete at the highest level,” he said.

“I improved my ranking more than I expected, but my goals are to improve on things I know I need to improve on.

“Things I have been working on for the last couple of months, and also to stay healthy.

“That has been a big challenge for me during my career and even this year I had health problems I had to overcome.

“Hopefully, I can play the next full season without any injuries.”