Kamil Majchrzak had to start from scratch. Now he shines at Wimbledon
In the context of Hubert Hurkacz's absence during the Grand Slam tournament on grass in London, it seemed that this year's Wimbledon would be exceptionally sad for Polish men's tennis. "Hubi" has repeatedly proven that he feels very good in the realities of playing on grass courts. The Wrocław native has achieved his best result in his career in the Grand Slam, in 2021 in London, reaching the semi-finals of the event.
Then Hurkacz sent away his idol, Roger Federer, in the quarterfinals. For the Swiss, it was a sad farewell to his beloved tournament and the exceptional British audience. It seemed that a king had just died, and his successor had perhaps just been born on the other side of the net.
Kamil Majchrzak stepped out of Hubert Hurkacz's shadowHurkacz's fate, however, turned out differently and it seems that the Wrocław player, who is currently 28 years old, has reached the edge of the abyss after his great success thanks to Wimbledon. "Hubi's" career took on a much worse, injury-prone character, due to the injury that the Pole suffered during a fall on the Wimbledon grass. This happened in 2024. Hurkacz withdrew from the tournament, and as it turned out, the Pole also lost the Olympic Games, and "Hubi's" problems have actually lasted until now. It is no coincidence that he was not on the list of active participants in the competition in London. While some play and fight for their dreams, Hurkacz underwent knee arthroscopy.
In the shadow of the tennis player from Wrocław, Kamil Majchrzak has been doing, is doing and will probably continue to do his solid, consistent work for years to come. A man who will turn exactly 30 next year. The tennis player from Piotrków Trybunalski is a completely different player, in terms of tennis characteristics, from "Hubi". It is not a strong serve or physical strength that play the decisive roles. Consistency, a sense of using the entire space of the court. Finally, the cleverness of the Pole, whose game - if he does not make mistakes - is a great pleasure to watch.
In 2013, Majchrzak achieved great success by winning the junior US Open. It was a doubles match at the time, but it certainly showed that the Pole has great potential. In 2022, Majchrzak reached the highest position in his career in the ATP ranking, reaching position number 75. It was exactly the end of April. The Pole's ranking situation looked quite similar in January 2023, when he was the 77th tennis player in the ATP ranking. In the same year, in October, however, there was a breakdown. On exactly 16.10.2023, Majchrzak landed in... 382nd place in the world list. And then it only got worse, including having to start his career from the beginning.
Fight for a good name and ATP ranking. A similar case of Świątek and SinnerWhy did this happen? This is the result of a positive anti-doping test result. At the end of 2022, the Pole was banned for four years. Majchrzak fought for a long time to clear himself, explaining it with contaminated supplements. Finally, at the end of 2023, his several-month (!) disqualification ended. It was found that the Polish player had completely unknowingly taken a banned substance, which led to the tennis player being misled with fatal consequences. The ill-fated product turned out to be... an isotonic supplement added to water.
However, the Pole lost his ranking, which he had so painstakingly built throughout his career. Majchrzak's situation and the doping "slip-up", which was in fact an absurd, unintentional misfortune by the player, can be compared to what happened to Jannik Sinner. The difference was, however, that the Italian - as the leader of the ATP ranking - was treated in a completely different way than the Pole. Majchrzak could not even enter the court as part of training, which he also described in one of his posts on social media. Rationally presenting... irrational inconsistency on the part of the tennis/anti-doping authorities.
"A few hours before the match, I received the latest news from the tennis world. It is shocking and extremely painful for me. I did not go into details for my own health and mental comfort, but the fact that for most of the duration of my case I could not even set foot on a non-private court ... and it turns out that others can play normally and fulfill their dreams in the same situation, does not give me peace. I am devastated and shocked. But as I mentioned, maybe I am wrong. Besides, who cares what I think, a guy from outside the top," wrote the Pole in August 2024.
Two months earlier, the Polish tennis player was cleared of the charges , and his four-year sentence was reduced to 13 months. It was found that the Pole had taken the banned substance unknowingly.
"After a long absence, I would like to tell my story [...] I have always been and am an honest man. I oppose any form of fraud in order to gain benefits [...] After almost two months, I received accurate test results that confirmed that all detected substances were found in one specific product. I am talking about a water-soluble isotonic supplement, which I started drinking regularly after consulting a dietician from the end of September 2022 until I found out about the positive anti-doping tests," Majchrzak emphasized.
Let's be honest, Iga Świątek also had to deal with similar absurdities when she was involved in a doping story in the second part of the 2024 season. Ultimately, it ended with a one-month disqualification, and it all came down to a contaminated batch of melatonin, regularly taken by the Polish athlete.
The aforementioned cases of Sinner and Świątek differ, however, in the context of Majchrzak, in that the tennis player from Piotrków Trybunalski - had to start from scratch in the ranking. In January 2024, Majchrzak was the number 944 tennis player in the ATP ranking. However, he did not give up and consistently, step by step, rebuilt both his good name and ranking position . Just like on the court, not giving up, even if there was a better known, louder name on the other side of the net.
A perfect example would be Majchrzak's start to Wimbledon 2025. The Pole was drawn against... a former finalist of the event, Matteo Berrettini. What's more, the Italian played in the most important match at Wimbledon in 2021, eliminating - of course - Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals. However, Majchrzak took revenge for his compatriot, eliminating the Italian rival and then improving on his win in the second round to be among the 32 best tennis players of this legendary tournament.
Majchrzak's idol is Novak Djokovic. Who knows, maybe Wimbledon 2025 will be special for both gentlemen. Well, for the Pole it already is, because reaching the third round of the Grand Slam tournament means equaling the best result in his career in the highest, tennis league. Djokovic is hunting for the 25th Grand Slam title in his collection, which would finally end the discussion about who is the tennis player of all time. Because what can I hide, the Serb would silence everyone, especially his critics.
Kamil Majchrzak deserves the highest praise for this. Regardless of what happens in London or the rest of the season. A spirit worthy of a great champion.
Read also: Iga Świątek returned from a long journey. A thriller ended with a knockout! Read also: Polish quarterfinal on Wimbledon courts. Something like this has never happened!
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