Pavel Kotov (right) suffered a heavy loss. © Social Media
Jannik Sinner will play his second match at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid on Monday at 8 p.m. His opponent comes from Russia and had to go through difficult times last year when a stroke of fate hit him hard.
29. April 2024
From: leo
Pavel Kotov is a gray mouse on the ATP tour. The 25-year-old’s highest placement is 61st, you won’t find an ATP title on your CV and the second round of a Grand Slam was the highest of emotions. He is characterized by his aggressive game and his forehand, but his mobility is limited. This year the man from Moscow has nine wins and eight defeats. In Madrid he eliminated Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ATP 105) and Jordan Thompson (ATP 33) in the first two rounds. Much more exciting than the bare numbers, however, is the person behind the athlete.
The 25-year-old had to wait a long time before he broke through into the top 100. He only managed to do this in October 2022. Ivan Polyakov, the Russian’s coach, played a decisive role in this. Under his wing, Kotov quickly climbed the world rankings and reached unknown heights. On March 31st of last year, Polyakov died of cancer – at just 29 years old.
Overcame difficult times
A few days after his death, Kotov reached his first ATP semi-final in Marrakech. At the end of the year he even made it to the final of the tournament in Stockholm, where he spoke emotional words. “It was a tragedy for me and my team. Thanks to him I climbed from 300th to 100th place. He always believed in me,” Kotov said. Polyakov was a fantastic, courageous person and, above all, a friend “who will always remain in my heart.”
Pavel Kotov challenges Jannik Sinner. © ANSA / JUANJO MARTIN
In an interview with the men’s organization ATP after this year’s Australian Open, Kotov gave further insights into this difficult time. “It all happened very quickly. After the French Open 2022 we spent many hours together on the court. He got very, very tired, but at first he thought it was because of training,” says the Russian. However, a visit to the doctor gave Polyakov the devastating diagnosis. Less than a year later, he lost his battle with the disease. “It was very difficult for me to cope with that and come back,” says Kotov, who now always stands on the pitch for his former friend and coach and gives his best. This will also be the case against Sinner.
recommendations
2024-04-29 06:23:51
#Sinner #opponent #Hit #hard #fate #tennis
