My extraordinary tennis story began at a small Czech tennis club, TK Radosovice, where I learned the game from my number one fan, my father. By the time dreams of Wimbledon kicked in, I was already behind. My #51 ranking sat below the top juniors. Further, I was attending normal school (unlike the kids who had started at a younger age). Instead of giving up or giving in, I used it all as motivation. In 2005, I earned my first ATP point at a tournament in Zilina, Slovakia. I still remember the indescribable emotions after the match. This “small” success gave me confidence and hope. Even though earning one ATP point was not nearly enough to get attention from the Czech National Tennis Association, I fell in love with the sport.

In 2008, I was offered an athletic scholarship to play for the University of Wisconsin. College taught me discipline; working with new coaches gave me more self-confidence. When I graduated, my singles play was the second-highest winning percentage in Wisconsin history. After moving back to the Czech Republic to play professionally, I climbed nearly 600 spots in one year and reached a world ranking of top 250 ATP in singles. I also earned a spot at the 2012 US Open Qualification. I played professional tournaments for five years, winning 11 titles at the ITF Futures tournaments in singles and doubles and reaching semifinals in Challengers. Finally, I did indeed realize my dream of playing at the most prestigious tournaments: the US Open, Wimbledon, Indian Wells, Doha. I beat players such as Dustin Brown, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe, Jiri Vesely and Janko Tipsarevic.

 Now, my dream is to be a great coach. I joined Oklahoma State University as an Assistant Tennis Coach in 2016, and in 2019, I was the Volunteer Assistant Coach at the University of Michigan. Before moving to Wisconsin in 2022 I spent two years as a tennis head coach at Blue Chip Player Development, a non-profit tennis academy in Ann Arbor.

I am passionate about tennis development and I want to pass my experience onto the younger players. I believe that my story can inspire many athletes to keep dreaming and pursuing their goals. Success doesn’t come overnight, but with great effort and positive attitude, your dreams can come true.