BERGAMO/STARNBERG, November 19, 2025
Whenever he comes to Italy, Marko Topo can’t help joking about his surname. Having put together a strong 2025 season, he is looking to finish on a high – and he’s already into the quarterfinals in Bergamo. The 22-year-old explains why he chose to represent Germany again after previously playing for Serbia.
“You know what your surname means in Italian?” “Of course – mouse!” Whenever Marko Topo hears that question, he flashes a wide grin that reflects his upbeat personality, shaped by his Balkan roots (his father Dragoljub and mother Snezana are Serbian). Despite that background, since 2022 he has chosen to represent Germany once more.
“Every time I come to Italy someone calls me topolino, the way you say Mickey Mouse.” Topo is in a great mood – and understandably so, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Internazionali di Bergamo – Trofeo FAIP-Perrel. Following his upset over Jan Choinski, he defeated Kazakh big server Beibit Zhukayev, who is just one spot behind him in the rankings (No. 282 vs. No. 283). Topo won 6–4, 7–6 and will now face the winner of the all-Italian clash between Francesco Passaro and Lorenzo Sciahbasi.
“Beibit serves incredibly well, but in the first set I returned just as well,” Topo explained. “I hit four great returns and broke him. I’m happy I saved every chance he had to get back into the match. In the second set we both served very well, but in the tiebreak I played every point perfectly. In the end, just a couple of points made the difference.”
Ranked No. 400 at the start of the year, he has climbed more than 100 spots thanks to two titles and several strong runs on the ATP Challenger Tour. “It’s been a good season, even with some ups and downs. When I was able to play, I played well, but I had a stomach issue that kept me out for a couple of months in the summer. Overall, despite the setbacks, I can say it was a good year. It could have been better, but I’m satisfied.”
Topo has already set his goals for 2026: to play qualifying at three of the four Grand Slams (“Melbourne is too soon, but I want to be there from Paris onward”) and to finish the year between No. 100 and No. 150. To achieve this, he has placed his trust in the coach who shadows him even here in Bergamo, Timon Reichelt.
Djokovic, Serbia, and Germany
“My training base is in Stuttgart with him, but I actually live in Munich. My family is still there, so I go often and sometimes train there, but I’m in Stuttgart more frequently.”
Topo doesn’t mention it himself, but he occasionally spends time at the Tennis Club Djukic in Belgrade, where he lived for four years and often trained with Novak Djokovic. The first time was when he was just 15, and he admits he was “super nervous” during the first ten minutes. Over the years, he was lucky enough to share several practice sessions with the Serbian legend. Asked what makes Djokovic so special, Topo doesn’t hesitate: “Everything. To me he’s the GOAT, no doubt. To be the greatest ever, you need to be special in every aspect: mentality, backhand, return, athleticism… everything. Could he win another Slam? This year he made four semifinals; he’s not far off. But Sinner and Alcaraz are younger, fitter, and playing incredible tennis. From the semifinals onward it gets tough because he has to beat both. It would help him if one lost early… But he’s the GOAT, so anything is possible.”
Djokovic provides the perfect lead-in to understanding Topo’s relationship with Serbia, a country he represented until 2022. Why did he choose to switch to Germany again? “Actually, the real question is why I played for Serbia in the first place,” he said. “I was born in Germany and lived there my entire childhood. At 15 I moved to Belgrade for economic reasons—life is cheaper there and I had great support. My parents are from Serbia, so I lived there for 3–4 years. It was a great period, and that’s why I chose to represent Serbia. But then I moved back to Germany, felt good, and it felt like returning home. So I chose to represent Germany again.”
Smiling, Topo went back to cooling down in the gym at the ChorusLife Arena. People may call him Topolino, but the 22-year-old from Gräfelfing, a suburb west of Munich, is in tremendous shape. “I know I have what it takes to break into the top 100 and experience top-tier tennis. I just need to be more consistent, week after week—or at least almost every week.”
