At age 20, Marko Lovrinovic took a leap of faith.
Knowing only one person in America, he left his home country of Croatia to pursue his passion — playing tennis on scholarship at Virginia Tech.
“In Croatia, the only tennis after high school is the professional level, so college in America was my best bet,” said the 27-year-old Lovrinovic. “It’s a move that has been really good for me. I got to keep playing tennis and got a good education.”
He is new to Greenwood after being hired a month ago to serve as the tennis professional at Twin Rivers and the Greenwood Country Club.
Small-town life has been an adjustment for Lovrinovic, who grew up in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb and, before moving to Greenwood, had been living in Nashville. It’s been a good change, though, he said.
“It’s a new experience, one that I am enjoying. Everybody knows everybody here. It’s a very warm, intimate community.”
After two years of playing at Virginia Tech, the 2012 Croatian National Championship singles finalist transfered to Belmont University in Nashville in 2013. There, he was a standout player on the Ohio Valley Conference’s championship squad. He said the move allowed him to play as a higher seed, therefore giving him more scholarship money than he was receiving at Virginia Tech.
He still holds the Belmont tennis record for wins with a total of 78 — 41 in singles and 37 in doubles.
Lovrinovic went on to get a master’s degree from Belmont in sports administration this past May. He was working as the tennis professional at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee in Brentwood before landing in Greenwood.
All of his family is still in Croatia. He last saw them a year ago when he visited them there. They have been to the U.S. one time to see him, for his college graduation. His brother, Matej, is planning to visit him in Greenwood next summer.
His mother, Slavica, played a major role in his move to the United States, helping him track down scholarship possibilities.
“She knew how important it was for me to continue my tennis career,” Lovrinovic said. “I am very thankful to her and the support of all my family.”
The biggest culture shock when he first arrived to America? He said no doubt it was the language barrier.
“Only connection I had to English was from Hollywood, from watching television,” he said, laughing. “The first year was a real struggle, especially keeping up with a lecture in class.”
Lovrinovic admits is was a bold move at the time.
“It’s tough to be 20 and go off to a different country knowing nobody. It’s always tough to leave behind friends and family, but it turned out to be the right move,” he said. “It was the best decision I have made in my entire life.”
He has a twofold plan to boost tennis play in Greenwood. First, he plans to develop a strong junior program to ensure the future of tennis here. Secondly, he wants to get more adults involved by hosting mixers and tournaments.
•Contact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
