Meet Barbara Mulej, one of the most dominant Masters Tennis players
She is a Masters Tennis phenomenon but, before we get stuck into that, we should perhaps provide some background and context to the wonder that is Barbara Mulej.
When we talk about the ITF being an organisation like no other when it comes to comprehensively supporting tennis journeys, it is important to give examples.
With that in mind, Mulej is the perfect person to focus upon as, in many ways, she is the embodiment of tennis being a sport for life and the 'playground to podium' metaphor.
As a youngster, as well as competing nationally in the former Yugoslavia, Mulej featured on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors – a breeding ground for aspiring talent and the stars of tomorrow.
The pinnacle of her time in juniors came in 1992 when she reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open Junior Championships. Incidentally, her conqueror that day was none other than future world No. 1, three-time Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medallist Lindsay Davenport.
From there, Mulej advanced along the player pathway. She appeared on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, the WTA Tour and at Grand Slams as she homed in on a career-high of No. 111 in the world rankings.
The now 51-year-old also represented Slovenia in Billie Jean King Cup before retiring from professional tennis in 2000, with her last match being a defeat in the first round of Australian Open qualifying.
Mulej, who holds a Masters degree in HR Management, subsequently acclimatised to life away from the court and embarked upon a path which has seen her become an HR executive. Tennis, however, has remained a focal point in her life.
As well as playing three times a week, Mulej also found the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, which provides competitive playing opportunities from the year in which someone turns 30, right through to 90 and above.
“I am proud to have represented my country in Billie Jean King Cup from the time of Slovenia’s independence in 1991 until the end of my career,” said Mulej, who contested 24 ties in the women’s World Cup of Tennis, returning a 19-8 win-loss record.
Barbara Mulej representing Slovenia in 1997
“Those are some of my fondest memories, as we had the opportunity to spend time with teammates we were otherwise separated from for most of the year due to tournaments.
“When the 2016 ITF Masters World Championships took place in Umag in Croatia, us girls from the Billie Jean King Cup team decided to reunite and play the team competition there.
“Since Umag was nearby, I also decided to play the individual event as well, teaming up in doubles with a friend from the past, Maja Matevžič. I enjoyed the atmosphere a lot, and that’s why I still participate in World Championships.”
It is important to stress that most players on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour are not former pros, with the Tour catering for a range of playing abilities. While Mulej is an exceptional Masters player, most competitors play club and park tennis.
That said, former pros do compete on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour with the standard of play at the top level, combined with the founding principles of Masters Tennis, clearly an attractive proposition.
At the 2025 World Championships in Turkiye, which was for players aged 30 through to 45 and above, there were an impressive 18 current or former Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup players on show.
Needless to say, the World Championships are the pinnacle of the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour and, as part of that ferociously dominant record, Mulej has won 13 World Championship titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
To underline her mastery further, since her debut on the Tour a decade ago, Mulej has lost only one of 43 singles matches – and that was by retirement – and currently boasts a 31-match winning streak dating back to 2019. In those 31 matches, she has lost a staggeringly low 32 games – it is quite remarkable.
Unfortunately, work commitments limit Mulej’s ability to play Masters Tennis as much as she would ideally like, with her presence tending to be reserved for World Championships. Tennis, as it always has, remains a constant.
“My professional tennis career gave me a lot of experience and an excellent foundation for life,” added Mulej. “Without it, perhaps it would be harder to understand or cope with the challenges life brings.
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“I am grateful that I had this opportunity and, even though it was hard at times, perhaps that was an additional advantage and good for later life.
“I came from Yugoslavia, a country that did not have the same tennis development structures as some western countries. For instance, I was 14 when the first indoor court was built in Slovenia.
“But perhaps this fuelled me and others. Perhaps it strengthened our determination to fight and achieve good results, be competitive and show more developed countries we could be better despite the lack of money and infrastructure.
“And now, tennis still plays a very important role in my life, and if I can play tennis and enjoy it, I see no reason not to.”
As we know, tennis has been found to provide numerous health and wellbeing benefits including increased life expectancy, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, improved mental health and enhanced physical fitness.
But as well as the researched and quantifiable perks, there are also the more holistic gains, which Mulej believes in wholeheartedly.
“Tennis and sport more generally have really helped me in my work,” said Mulej. “I have a responsible role now – I am the head of an HR department at a large company – which is very challenging.
“It is important for me to maintain sporting activities and remain physically active, so I am prepared. This is one of the reasons I didn't stop playing tennis after my professional career.
“I still play three times a week, manage to train a lot and stay very active. I wake up very early each day – around 4.30am – and go for a 30-45 minute run before cycling to work.
“I work about 10 hours a day and play tennis three times a week. I also do pilates and, at the weekends, enjoy hiking and going on long cycling tours. It is tennis and these sporting activities which help me in my work.”
Mulej clearly retains a powerful appetite for success and, from what she says, is showing no signs of slowing down. This may be bad news for some of her forthcoming opponents on the court, but it does provide the chance for some light-hearted predictions.
How many matches do we think Mulej will lose between now and the time she finally hangs up her racket? Looking at the evidence in front of us, it is unlikely to be many.
Find out more about the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, including how to sign up and play, here.