'My dad made history for Slovenia in the NBA, now I'm on the world stage'
05/11/2023 20:09
Slovenia's Ela Milic is the youngest player at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals and she is taking every opportunity to learn from the world-class players around her
By Ross McLean
For Ela Milic, the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals offer the chance for her to follow in the footsteps of her father – the first Slovenian to play basketball in the NBA – and appear on the world stage.
Milic is the daughter of Marko Milic, who made history for his nation after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1997 NBA draft.
The 17-year-old, whose mother also played basketball, joins the long list of modern-day tennis players who are the offspring of famous sporting personalities.
The likes of Casper Ruud, Sebastian Korda, Leo Borg, Elizabeth Mandlik, Brandon Holt and Jagger Leach have famous tennis-playing parents, while those of Olga Danilovic, Isabella Kruger and Roman Andres Burruchaga were famous in other sports.
“I grew up in a sporting family, went to a lot of my dad’s games and travelled a lot, which really helped me grow as an athlete,” Milic, whose grandfather Vladimir was a Serbian shot putter, told billiejeakingcup.com.
“It gave me a certain mentality which is good for sport. My mum and dad really taught me the things that I needed to learn in order to be a good athlete. It really helped me to grow up in that environment.
“They are proud of me, and I am very proud as well that I am here. Me doing what I have always wanted to do is the most important thing for them and me being successful means even more. I think they are pretty happy with how I am going and growing with my career.
“My mum and dad take a very keen interest in my career and, if I play this week, even if they don’t watch it live, they will watch it back.”
Milic reveals that she retains a lot of affection for basketball and follows the Dallas Mavericks – her father is an assistant coach there – and is a huge fan of Slovenian point guard Luka Doncic. She remains comfortable, however, with her decision to pick tennis over basketball.
“I went to so many basketball games when I was younger and, while I like the game, I felt that I'd had enough of it and wanted to try something different,” said Milic. “It was pretty random how I ended up in tennis, but it was love at first sight. From the first day, I loved it.”
Milic earned her maiden call-up to Slovenia’s Billie Jean King Cup team for April’s nail-biting Qualifier against Romania in Koper, a tie which her nation won in dramatic fashion to seal a place at the Finals for the first time.
While she is yet to make her competition debut, the teenager is taking every opportunity to absorb as much knowledge and understanding as possible from her ongoing experience with the Slovenia national team.
After all, she is still eligible to play junior tennis and has featured at all four Junior Grand Slams this season, while she is the youngest player at the Finals to be selected by their nation.
“It is a great honour to be here,” she added. "I’m still a junior, so I feel very proud to be part of this team. I get to be among all the pros and see them play. To compete against them is something every junior player is looking to do.
“This tournament almost divides a junior career and pro career. It is my second time with the team after being with them for the Qualifiers, and they welcomed me very nicely. I feel good around them, and it is nice to be part of it.”
Being a member of the national set-up also sees Milic join forces with Blaz Kavcic, a coach with the Billie Jean King Cup team and someone who she watched represent Slovenia in Davis Cup during her formative years.
“When I was younger, I watched a lot of Davis Cups,” said Milic. “I feel like women’s tennis has grown in Slovenia over the last few years. Before, it was not so big. There were, of course, some good players but it was maybe not so widely known.
“But when I watched Slovenia in Davis Cup, one of the coaches we have now played, and being here with him now is a special feeling.”
While her father and coach have both achieved on behalf of their nation, the foundation is there for Milic to create her own history.
