Kacper Szymkowiak is off to a scorching start to his singles career, boasting an impressive nine-match win streak for MTSU men’s tennis.
The freshman sensation began his season starting in the No. 5 singles spot, facing off against Jan Koberierski of Tennessee and winning his debut 6-2, 6-1.
Szymkowiak would play four more matches in the No. 5 slot where he would gain wins against Lipscomb, Miami and Auburn (and an unfinished match vs University Florida 3-6, 6-3, 4-2).
After starting his season undefeated, head coach Jimmy Borendame moved the Poland native up to the No. 4 seed.
Following the lineup shift, Szymkowiak showed his ability to perform in the clutch by beating Damien Nezar of Alabama in a tiebreak 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
With Szymkowiak’s win over the Crimson Tide, Borendame once again took notice of the freshman’s impressive play and decided to move him up to No. 3 for a match against Vanderbilt. Here Szymkowiak gained win number six against the Commodores single No. 3, Micheal Ross.
After yet another remarkable performance, Szymkowiak climbed higher up the rankings ladder and was promoted to the No. 2 singles spot.
In his No. 2 debut, Szymkowiak secured a huge win against the Indiana Hoosiers. He closed out the match with a final score of 6-0, 7-5 against Jip Van Assendelft, pushing the win streak to seven games.
Just 11 games into his freshman season, playing the upper echelon of competition doesn’t seem to bother Szymkowiak.
“It doesn’t matter for me if I play No. 5, No. 2, there are of course better opponents on higher positions, but it doesn’t matter for me,” Szymkowiak said.
In his most recent outing, Szymkowiak picked up two huge singles victories in a double header vs Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky pushing his win streak to nine.
Szymkowiak has had a truly remarkable start to his college career and looks to continue this momentum as his career progresses. He has already claimed his first conference accolade in becoming CUSA Athlete of the Week and has his sights set towards CUSA Freshman of the Year, he said.
In terms of doubles action, Szymkowiak has partnered with Rostislav Halfinger for a majority of the season and has developed strong chemistry with the senior.
“It’s kind of funny because he’s a great guy, funny guy, so it’s fun to be with him on the court,” Szymkowiak said. “It’s not such a big age difference between us so I think we are a good team.”
What sets Szymkowiak apart from the pack is his killer instinct and unbreakable mentality.
“I just walk on the court with the mindset that it doesn’t matter who is on the other side, if it’s No. 1 ATP, if it’s No. 1,000 ATP, it doesn’t matter to me,” Szymkowiak said. “I just try to do my job.”
The way Szymkowiak has fit into the Blue Raider system so quickly speaks to his coach’s ability to lead the team.
“Coach Jimmy, before me coming here, came to Poland to meet my family and since I’ve gone here, he’s been helping me with everything whenever I needed help,” Szymkowiak said. “He’s a great guy I’m really honored to play for his team and I’m ready for more.”
To this point, the freshman phenom has become an integral part of the MTSU men’s tennis roster and looks to be a key player in years to come.
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