Ana Gros

Ana began playing handball at the age of 10 in her hometown of Velenje. She made her first appearance for the Slovenian national team at 16 and competed in her first major international tournament in 2010. In 2017, she was named captain of the national team and played in her first World Championship in Germany — a role in which she led both on and off the court, managing relationships between players and staff and fostering open communication within the team. Known as a good listener, she has always been ready to support teammates, offer advice and help find the best solutions for the group.

At 19, she left Slovenia and went on to spend 15 years playing abroad. Building independence from a young age shaped her significantly as a person: succeeding at the highest level required constant sacrifice, which strengthened her resilience and persistence. Playing alongside teammates of many nationalities and cultures also allowed her to learn several languages and develop a deeper understanding of different perspectives and mindsets.

Ana represented Slovenia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she served as the country's flag bearer, and won the EHF Champions League with her club that same year. She ended her professional playing career in June 2026, as Slovenia's all-time leading scorer with 767 goals in 159 national team appearances.

Beyond the court, Ana has taken on several leadership and institutional roles. In 2024, she was elected a member of the Athletes' Commission at the International Handball Federation. Since 2019, she has served as an ambassador for "Respect Your Talent," an EHF project supporting, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of athletes through camps and presentations. In September 2026, she was elected Vice-President for Women's Handball and International Relations of the Slovenian Handball Federation, and, in the same month, a member of the European Handball Players Board.

Career:

2025–2026 — Brest Bretagne Handball

2024–2025 — RK Krim Mercator (loan)

2022–2024 — Győri Audi ETO

2021–2022 — CSKA Moscow

2018–2021 — Brest Bretagne Handball

2014–2018 — Metz Handball

2022 — RK Krim Mercator

2012–2014 — Thüringer HC

2010–2012 — Győri Audi ETO

2009–2010 — RK Krim Mercator

2007–2009 — RK Olimpija

Achievements:

EHF Champions League — Winner: 2024; Finalist: 2012, 2021; Semifinalist: 2011, 2023, 2026

Hungarian Championship — Winner: 2011, 2012, 2023

French Championship — Winner: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2026

German Championship — Winner: 2013

Slovenian Championship — Winner: 2010, 2022, 2025

National team — 159 caps, 767 goals (Slovenia's all-time leading scorer)

European Championship: 2010, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022

World Championship: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023

Olympic Games: 2024

Individual Awards:

All-Star Best Right Back, EHF Champions League — 2018

5th player in history to reach 1,000+ goals in the Champions League

Top Scorer, EHF Champions League — 2020

EHF Excellence Award, Best Right Back of the Season — 2022/23

French Championship MVP — 2020

French Championship Top Scorer — 2016, 2018

French Championship Right Back — 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Tourism

Languages:

Slovenian, English, French, Spanish, German, Serbo-Croatian