A tournament that says something important about the city
Last weekend, Dubrovnik hosted the second edition of Dubrovnik Open 2026 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, an international wheelchair tennis tournament held from 10 to 12 April 2026. The event took place on clay courts in Dubrovnik and once again brought international players to the city for a tournament that was about more than sport alone.
What made the weekend especially meaningful for local audiences was the success of Dubrovnik’s own Ante Kolunđija, who won the doubles title, while his partner Geoffrey Jasiak also went on to take the singles title. Local coverage described the result as one of the standout moments of the tournament, giving the event both an international and a distinctly Dubrovnik story.
A home success at an international event
For Dubrovnik, Kolunđija’s doubles win mattered for obvious reasons. A home player winning a title always gives a tournament a different emotional charge, but in this case it also underlined how strongly the event is tied to local effort and organisation. Before the tournament, local sports coverage had already described Dubrovnik as the host of the second edition of the event and noted that it was being organised in cooperation with the Wheelchair Tennis Club Dubrovnik and the Croatian Wheelchair Tennis Association, under the leadership of organiser Ante Kolunđija.
That gives the story a wider meaning. This was not simply a case of Dubrovnik providing a venue for an international event. It was also a case of a local figure helping build the event and then winning one of its titles on home ground. That combination naturally makes the tournament feel closer to the city itself. This is partly an inference, but it follows directly from the local reporting on Kolunđija’s role and result. (du-sportivo.hr)
Geoffrey Jasiak completed the weekend in style
While Kolunđija celebrated the doubles title, Geoffrey Jasiak completed a particularly strong weekend by winning the singles competition as well. Local reports state that Jasiak beat Austrian player Christoph Wilke in the singles final in straight sets, 6–4, 7–5, confirming his status as one of the tournament’s leading players.
That result also fits the picture painted before the event. In pre-tournament coverage, Jasiak was described as the top seed and a player with strong international credentials, which made his eventual singles title feel like a logical sporting outcome, even if Dubrovnik’s emotional centre remained Kolunđija’s home success in doubles.
More than a sports result
What made this tournament especially interesting for Dubrovnik was not only who won, but what the event represents. Local reporting after the final emphasised that the City of Dubrovnik continues to support events that promote inclusion and sport for people with disabilities, with deputy mayor Velibor Puzović presenting trophies and recognitions to the successful athletes.
That makes the tournament more than a niche sports weekend. It places it within a broader story about accessibility, visibility and the kind of sporting culture Dubrovnik wants to support. For a city that is often seen only through tourism and heritage, that matters.
A tournament that feels right in Dubrovnik
Events like this also show another side of Dubrovnik — one that is not built only around views and monuments, but around participation, community and contemporary city life. Wheelchair tennis may not be the first thing visitors associate with Dubrovnik, but perhaps that is exactly why it leaves a strong impression. It reveals a city that can host international competition while also creating space for stories of resilience, organisation and local pride. This is an inference, but it is well supported by the way local and sports coverage framed the tournament before and after the event.
One of the weekend’s best local stories
In the end, the strongest image from the weekend may be a simple one: an international wheelchair tennis tournament in Dubrovnik, a home player lifting the doubles trophy, and a city once again showing that some of its most meaningful stories happen slightly outside the usual postcard frame.
For Just Dubrovnik, that is the kind of story worth holding onto. Not only because it is positive, but because it says something true about the city: Dubrovnik is also a place where sport, inclusion and local determination can come together in a very visible way.
