Molcan Top 100 Debut Helsinki Challenger | ATP Tour

When Alex Molcan embarked on the 2021 campaign, the 23-year-old knew it would be his best season yet. After years of failing due to injury and struggling to regain confidence and stability, Molcan has finally turned aside.

Healthy and ready to move up the FedEx ATP Rankings, the budding Slovak star is poised to make 2021 his breakout year.

But rising to the year-end Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings? Even if he admits it’s the furthest thing from his mind.

Molcan said: “This is my first time making the Top 100 and I am really happy that I made the list this year. “I don’t think it’s possible to go from a Top 300 ranking to a Top 100 in one year. I just thank my coaches and team who have helped me stay healthy. I will try to improve. improve your game even more, prepare well and wish the best next season. We’ll see what happens.”

Molcan had one of the biggest jumps to the Top 100 by year-end of the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021, increasing 225 positions in total. After kicking off his campaign in 312th, he will rise to career 87th after winning the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Helsinki on Sunday.

The biggest motivations to reach the top 100 at the end of the year

Molcan’s story begins at the age of 5, when his parents introduced him to the game in his hometown of Presov, Slovakia. He also played football and ice hockey, but when local tennis coaches told him he had the talent to go far, the decision was made.

While young Alex had all the tools to take his next step, the support of his mother Andrea proved to be the most important aspect of his development. He explained that without his mother’s sacrifice, that would include uprooting her life and moving to the Slovak capital Bratislava so her son could train in the best facilities. , he won’t be in the Top 100 today.

“All good tennis players have to go from home to place to practice and compete,” says Molcan. “This is my experience, from my hometown to Bratislava when I was 12 years old. I don’t know anyone but my mother. I went to school there and it was difficult, because I am a guy from another city. All requests Every player has to sacrifice something to be good.My mother sacrificed a lot to make me the person and tennis player I am today.She has always supported me to play tennis and she changed my mind. Change your life for me.”

When Molcan’s mother moved back to their hometown three years later, it was time for him to fly solo and navigate life on the junior route. The road to the top is rarely a linear one and after injuries, the Slovak player had to overcome many obstacles to get in his place for a successful career.

Shoulder and back ailments plagued Molcan during her teenage years. Without any consistency, he says he was stuck at 300th in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of his professional career. The Slovak player underwent wrist surgery in 2017 and he is due to tear his abdomen next year.

His first appearance in the Challenger final was at Sevilla in 2018, and that taste of success will spur him to work even harder and dedicate himself physically and mentally to making the most of the opportunity. mine. He has entered 2021 getting ready for a stormy tour.

“If you want to change, you have to work. This year we prepared very well. In the winter we trained for three weeks in the mountains in Slovakia. Didn’t play tennis for 20 days, but very a lot of running and working with other Slovak players It’s been really good for me and I’m getting ready for the season Everything is like a puzzle and now I’m putting the puzzles together. “

The only Slovak player in the year-end Top 100, Molcan built up his muscles during his breakout season. It all started with a claim of victory over #NextGenATP star Lorenzo Musetti at the Gran Canaria Challenger in February. From there, he will reach his first ATP Tour final in Belgrade as a qualifier, before falling to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and his first Challenger crown will come shortly after in Liberec, Czech Republic.

“I’ll never forget when we warmed up before the game and the announcer introduced us and said ‘Novak Djokovic, No. 1 in the world, 18 Grand Slam’. Getting there was amazing. I got goosebumps. . That tournament was great Boosted confidence. Playing Djokovic in the final was the greatest experience I’ve ever had. I took a lot of information from that match, to see how Djokovic played. He didn’t play fast and didn’t have big serves, but to see his logic and intelligence on the court was huge for me. I took a lot of information from him.”

Molcan went on to alternate success at both levels, also qualifying for his first Grand Slam, en route to the third round of the US Open. And he will end his campaign in dominating style, reaching the semi-finals of Challenger head-to-head in Bergamo and Bratislava, before lifting his second crown in Helsinki, Finland, on Sunday.

“I’m really happy that the last tournament of the season was a winning one,” added Molcan. “The top 100 is of course something every player dreams of. Now that I’m there, I’ll try to get to an even better position and focus on having a good pre-season and playing well in next year.”

Learn about Alex
Tennis Idols: Rafa, of course. The way he fights all the time, his mentality and forehand. Is crazy. I enjoyed watching him more than anyone else.

Biggest passion: Car. I’m a car guy. From the expensive ones, my favorite is the Ferrari. From normal cars, it should be BMW. I own a BMW 340i. It’s quick. I am also a fan of Formula One. Since I watched the Netflix show ‘Drive to Survive’ and they were showing the sport in the background, I liked it better. That’s why I like Ferrari.

Dream job: Business man. It is similar to tennis. If you want to be good, you have to work at it. If you want to earn money, you need to work hard to achieve it. I love it. My mother’s boyfriend is a businessman. It’s really stressful, but I like the way it works. You have to build your brand.

Favorite food: At home, it’s pancakes with Nutella and whipped cream. On tour, it was sushi. You can buy good sushi everywhere, but I love it. During the US Open, we went to Nippon, the first Japanese restaurant in New York City.

Tattoo: I like tattoos. When I was 18, I got my first tattoo. It was my mother’s birthday. That’s the starting point and I know I’ll have more to come. I like the way they look. Every year in the winter, usually in November and December, I’m getting something. I find meaning in tattoos. I have a tiger on my arm and I like Asian culture, so I have a temple, a lotus flower and a buddha too. Things. I also like myths and animals.