From Serbia’s cold winters to Goa’s sun-soaked courts, Milica Rakovic and Mladen Petrovic have found a rhythm that blends sport, lifestyle, and partnership. At the Gadre Gaspar Dias Open 2026, the Belgrade-based duo proved that age is just a number, winning the Masters 35+ mixed doubles title with flair and chemistry.
Both aged 55, the couple escapes the harsh Serbian winter each year to make Mandrem, Goa, their seasonal home. While Milica practices yoga and balances her professional life as an investment banker, Mladen—an interior and industrial designer—embraces the laid-back Goan spirit. Together, however, they transform into what many now call “fire and ice” on the tennis court.
Their triumph came at the recently concluded Masters segment of the tournament held at the historic Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias, a venue steeped in over a century of tennis tradition.
“We tried to win this tournament for three years and practiced especially for it,” Milica shared. “Winning it on our third attempt makes it even more special, as this is a very high-quality competition.”
For Mladen, the victory is as much about gratitude as achievement. “Each trophy is a relief and a blessing until the next tournament. But the Gadre Gaspar Dias Open means a lot to us—it’s a serious club with a long tradition. And the hospitality we receive here, thousands of miles from home, is truly special.”
Their tennis journeys, however, were not without challenges. Growing up in an erstwhile socialist country, tennis was often seen as an elitist sport. “Collective sports like football and basketball were prioritised,” Mladen recalls. Ironically, his introduction to tennis came as a form of discipline. “I was a misbehaved kid, so my parents sent me to the nearest tennis club to keep me out of trouble. That’s how it all began.”
Milica’s journey began at age 12, when she was drawn to the elegance of players dressed in white near her home court. Introduced to the game by her uncle, she went on to earn a full tennis scholarship to study Economics in the United States and later at the University of Cambridge.
Meeting five years ago through a mutual friend, the couple bonded over tennis and soon began competing together. “We travel with our rackets everywhere,” says Milica. “From courts surrounded by pine trees in Sicily to banyan trees in our home-away-from-home in Anjuna, tennis connects us to places and people.”
On balancing competition and companionship, Milica laughs, “We’re super competitive on court and do have disagreements. But once we step off the court, everything is forgotten—except maybe how one should drive in India.”
Mladen sums it up best: “When she becomes fire, I try to be ice. When she’s ice, I become fire. That’s the secret.”
