Where Sport Meets Style on the Adriatic
There is a particular kind of elegance that emerges when elite sport intersects with haute couture — when the discipline of the court gives way to the freedom of evening dress, and the athletes who spend their days in pursuit of technical perfection reveal an equally considered approach to personal style.
At the inaugural WTA Dubrovnik Open, held from 23 to 29 March 2026 at Tenis klub Dubrovnik in the Lapad district, that intersection was on full display. And no one embodied it more naturally than Croatian player Tena Lukas.
Tena Lukas: Croatia’s Most Stylish Competitor
Born in 1995, Lukas has carved out a respected career on the professional circuit, reaching a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 200 and accumulating fourteen singles titles on the ITF Circuit. But for those who follow her beyond the baseline, it is her off-court presence that has increasingly captured attention.
Lukas gravitates toward the houses that understand the balance between boldness and restraint. Chanel, with its enduring codes of structured femininity and graphic monochrome, is a natural fit for an athlete whose game is built on precision and timing. Saint Laurent — with its sharp Parisian edge and unapologetic confidence — mirrors the competitive fire that drives her on clay.
It is a wardrobe philosophy that speaks to a deeper understanding of luxury: not as display, but as an extension of identity. On court, Lukas competes with intelligence and determination. Off court, the same qualities inform every sartorial choice.
The Players’ Party: Hotel Sumratin’s Rooftop Debut
The social highlight of the tournament week came when the WTA Dubrovnik Open hosted its official players’ party on the rooftop of the newly opened Hotel Sumratin — a five-star property that has rapidly established itself as Lapad’s most compelling luxury address.
Opened in 2025 on the site of one of Dubrovnik’s most historic hotel buildings — dating back to 1918 — Hotel Sumratin represents a meticulous fusion of heritage architecture and contemporary design. The property sits directly on the Lapad promenade, steps from the beach and a short drive from the Old Town’s medieval ramparts. With 216 rooms, a rooftop swimming pool offering panoramic Adriatic views, multiple dining venues, and a spa, the hotel served as the official player accommodation for the tournament — placing the world’s best women’s tennis players quite literally next door to the courts.
The rooftop setting proved inspired. As the sun descended toward the Elaphiti Islands, casting the Adriatic in shades of copper and rose, players and guests gathered against a backdrop that few sporting events anywhere in the world can rival. The atmosphere was relaxed yet refined — a quality that defines the best moments in luxury hospitality.
Fashion on the Rooftop
The players’ party offered a rare glimpse into the personal style of professional athletes who, during competition, are defined by their technical kit. The transformation was striking.
Lukas, characteristically, rose to the occasion. Her affinity for Chanel’s timeless codes — the structured tweed, the quilted leather, the considered proportions — translated effortlessly from Parisian runway to Adriatic rooftop. There is something fitting about wearing a house built on the philosophy of liberating women through clothing at an event celebrating women’s excellence in sport.
Her appreciation for Yves Saint Laurent adds a complementary dimension. Where Chanel speaks to discipline and refinement, YSL introduces an element of edge — the tuxedo jacket reimagined, the sharp shoulder, the confidence of a silhouette designed to command a room. Together, these houses form a wardrobe vocabulary that is distinctly European, unmistakably luxurious, and entirely personal.
The Dubrovnik Effect
The WTA Dubrovnik Open represents something larger than a tennis tournament. Organised by tournament director Feliks Lukas — who has previously built the WTA Makarska Open into one of the world’s top-rated events in its category — the Dubrovnik edition is designed to position Croatia’s southern coast alongside Monaco, Barcelona, and Rome as a destination where elite sport and luxury lifestyle converge.
Behind every seamless tournament experience, however, there is someone who ensures that everything beyond the scoreboard runs flawlessly. That person is Tajna Lukas, the tournament’s operational director. From coordinating player logistics and hospitality to managing the countless moving parts that audiences never see — venue preparation, scheduling, media operations, sponsor activations, and the social programme that culminated in the Hotel Sumratin rooftop party — Tajna is the driving force behind the scenes. A tournament of this calibre does not simply happen; it is built, detail by detail, and her role in making the inaugural Dubrovnik Open a success cannot be overstated.
The choice of Hotel Sumratin as the tournament’s hospitality centrepiece is no accident. The property embodies the same philosophy as the tournament itself: world-class standards delivered with distinctly Croatian warmth. The rooftop, with its infinity-edge perspective over Lapad Bay, provided not merely a venue but a stage — one where the intersection of athletic achievement, personal style, and Adriatic beauty created something genuinely memorable.
A New Chapter for Croatian Luxury
As Paris continues to set the pace for haute couture, cities like Dubrovnik are writing their own chapters in the luxury narrative. The inaugural WTA Dubrovnik Open — and the moments it produced, from centre court drama to rooftop glamour — suggests that Croatia’s story in this space is only beginning.
For Tena Lukas, the tournament offered something beyond ranking points and match results. It provided a stage to demonstrate what many in the tennis world already know: that her sense of style, like her game, is defined by a rare combination of elegance, intelligence, and quiet confidence.
Some players win tournaments. Others define how the game looks and feels. Lukas, on the evidence of this remarkable week in Dubrovnik, is well on her way to doing both.
Discover more: WTA Dubrovnik Open — Official Website | Hotel Sumratin — Official Website
