(September 20, 2012) -- Donna Vekic is only 16 but is already a name to watch after her run to the finals of Tashkent last week. Here's a few things you may not know about this young player on the rise.
1. Vekic was born on June 28th, 1996 in Osijek, Croatia. Currently she lives in London where she trains with her coach David Felgate.
2. Gymnastics was the first sport Vekic got involved in when she was young but then she started playing tennis at age six. She won her first national 12s title at age 10.
3. After playing in all the junior Grand Slam events, Vekic decided to turn pro. She played her first career ITF events in 2010 and won her first ITF doubles title in 2011.
4. This year saw Vekic compete mainly on the ITF circuit winning three singles titles before she had her breakthrough event at the Tashkent Open. At that event, she went from qualifying all the way to the finals where she lost to Irina-Camelia Begu.
5. At Tashkent, Vekic became the youngest player to reach a WTA final since Tamira Paszek won Potorosz in 2006 at age 15. Vekic now stands at a career high ranking of 121.
6. Vekic told wtatennis.com that her best shots are her forehand and serve.
7. As far as tennis idols goes, Vekic doesn't have one but said she admires both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for their charisma and athleticism.
8. Studying and taking classes is still a priority for the teenager. "I'm in my second year of high school in Croatia. Mainly I'm studying on the road and getting my homework sent to me and then I come back to take the exams," said Vekic.
9 .The one word that Vekic uses to describe herself: "competitive".
10. If she couldn't play tennis, Vekic would try a more creative career. "I would like to get into acting. I haven't done any yet, but it's something that really interests me and I'd like to try at some point."