Hungarian Zsombor Piros has been one of many hardest gamers to beat on the ATP Challenger Tour this clay-court season. The 23-year-old received back-to-back Challenger titles in April on the Break up and Oeiras Challengers and this week appears to be like to qualify for his maiden main most important draw at Roland Garros.
If Piros just isn’t competing on courtroom, yow will discover him creating reminiscences with family and friends or enjoying soccer, darts, and card video games. The Hungarian might even recollect a magic trick he realized as a youngster.
“Once I was 14, I had two or three years doing magic tips. I used to be very obsessive about it,” Piros informed ATPTour.com. “I am not doing that obsessively like a number of years in the past, the place I’d study for 2 or three hours a day, card tips, coin tips, ring tips, psychological tips.”
Whereas a sequence of magic tips may have left Piros’ mates with their jaws dropped, it was a 10-match successful streak for the lack of only one set that left the World No. 125 stunned in April, when he captured back-to-back Challenger titles in Break up, Croatia and Oeiras, Portugal.
Zsombor Piros in motion on the Oeiras Challenger.” />Zsombor Piros defeats Juan Manuel Cerundolo within the Oeiras Open 3 last. Credit score: Sara Falcão/FPT
“I’m speechless truthfully, I’ve by no means received this many matches in a row at this degree,” Piros stated in Oeiras after successful the title. “I really stunned myself with these outcomes. I feel the second step is simply believing I can play this degree and to not assume it occurred simply as soon as. It [will] give me large confidence for the longer term. I’ve some nice reminiscences on courtroom, however I feel that is an important [one] now. It’s probably the most particular.”
Piros just isn’t the one 23-year-old Hungarian on the rise this 12 months. Fabian Marozsan, who was born 5 days earlier than Piros, upset World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz final week on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion in Rome.
Marozsan, World No. 115, and Piros grew up collectively and partnered to signify their house nation in Davis Cup doubles motion in opposition to Australia in 2021.
“We’re practising collectively in the identical place, we grew up collectively going to all of the tournaments in Hungary and all of Europe,” Marozsan stated of his countryman.
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One in all Piros’ most memorable moments got here when he was a youngster, travelling to the most important venues within the sport for junior Grand Slam occasions.
The Budapest native went on a dream run to win the 2017 Australian Open boys’ singles title. He grew to become the second Hungarian male to win a junior Grand Slam title, becoming a member of Marton Fucsovics, who received the 2010 Wimbledon boys’ singles crown. The Melbourne reminiscence nonetheless fills Piros with pleasure.
“It was one of the vital highly effective feelings for me. Even now once I keep in mind [it], I’ve goosebumps,” Piros stated. “A whole bunch of Hungarians have been there, singing songs for me… I virtually performed the qualifying for that match and I used to be virtually the final one in the principle draw, so we anticipated one or two wins.
“However then for weeks I did not realise I had simply received a Grand Slam, although it was only a junior title. It is nonetheless top-of-the-line feelings I’ve ever skilled on the tennis courtroom. It is nonetheless very near my coronary heart.”
Zsombor Piros earns the 2017 Australian Open boys’ singles crown.” />Zsombor Piros earns the 2017 Australian Open boys’ singles crown. Credit score: Pat Scala/Getty Photos
Across the time he triumphed in Australia, Piros was hooked on darts. He would typically throw 800 to 1,000 darts a day. However that shortly got here to an finish when he realised his shoulder was so stiff the next day that he struggled to serve.
Since successful his junior title in Melbourne, Piros has been creating his sport on the Challenger Tour. His arduous work has reaped 4 Challenger trophies inside the previous 12 months.
“I feel I’ve performed like 70 Challenger tournaments,” Piros stated. “I feel there’s a large distinction from Futures to Challengers, particularly the mentality. All people’s nonstop within the health club, having every thing on the courtroom like new racquets, every thing skilled.
“It’s important to give 100 per cent for each shot, being there and combating for each level, in any other case you possibly can’t achieve success at this degree. Each level counts. Typically in case you present dangerous emotion for only a few factors, it may be the tip of your match. It is a very robust degree.”
Piros hopes to seek out extra success this week in Paris, the place he’s seeded thirteenth within the Roland Garros qualifying draw and can meet Dominik Koepfer within the opening spherical.
