Bernarda Pera

Bernarda Pera was born on December 3, 1994, in Zadar, Croatia. Of Croatian-Dalmatian Italian heritage, she began playing tennis at the age of five. Recognizing her burgeoning talent, her father, a U.S. citizen, relocated their family to New Jersey when Bernarda was 16 to support her tennis career. She officially turned professional in 2014, and by March 2013, she began representing the United States in international competitions after initially playing for Croatia.

Pera made her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 US Open in doubles, entering as a wildcard. Her major singles debut came at the 2018 Australian Open as a lucky loser, where she notably defeated ninth seed Johanna Konta to reach the third round. That same year, she advanced to her first WTA Tour semifinal at the Guangzhou Open. In 2022, Pera achieved significant milestones by winning her first two WTA Tour singles titles at the Budapest Grand Prix and the Hamburg European Open. During this period, she went on a 12-match winning streak, securing 24 consecutive sets. Her success on tour propelled her to a career-high singles ranking of world No. 27 in June 2023. She also holds one WTA doubles title, won with Kateřina Siniaková at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 2, contributing to her career-high doubles ranking of No. 35 in February 2022.

Throughout her career, Pera has consistently competed in Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the third round of the Australian Open twice (2018, 2023), the fourth round of the French Open (2023), the third round of Wimbledon (2024), and the third round of the US Open (2023). Her solid performances have allowed her to sustain a career in professional tennis, earning over $3 million. Her dedication and consistent presence in the top echelons of women’s tennis underscore her capabilities as a respected athlete in the sport.