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 gained 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 shouldn’t be competing on courtroom, yow will discover him creating reminiscences with family and friends or taking part in soccer, darts, and card video games. The Hungarian might even recollect a magic trick he discovered as a youngster.

“After I was 14, I had two or three years doing magic methods. I used to be very obsessive about it,” Piros advised ATPTour.com. “I am not doing that obsessively like just a few years in the past, the place I’d study for 2 or three hours a day, card methods, coin methods, ring methods, psychological methods.”

Whereas a sequence of magic methods 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 closing. Credit score: Sara Falcão/FPT

“I’m speechless actually, I’ve by no means gained this many matches in a row at this stage,” 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 stage and to not suppose it occurred simply as soon as. It [will] give me huge confidence for the long run. I’ve some nice reminiscences on courtroom, however I feel that is an important [one] now. It’s probably the most particular.”

Piros shouldn’t be 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 characterize their dwelling nation in Davis Cup doubles motion towards 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.

Certainly one of Piros’ most memorable moments got here when he was a youngster, travelling to the largest 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 gained 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 bear in mind [it], I’ve goosebumps,” Piros stated. “A whole bunch of Hungarians had 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 primary draw, so we anticipated one or two wins.

“However then for weeks I did not realise I had simply gained a Grand Slam, despite the fact that 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 Pictures

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 laborious work has reaped 4 Challenger trophies throughout the previous 12 months.

“I feel I’ve performed like 70 Challenger tournaments,” Piros stated. “I feel there’s a huge distinction from Futures to Challengers, particularly the mentality. All people’s nonstop within the fitness center, having every part on the courtroom like new racquets, every part skilled.

“You must give 100 per cent for each shot, being there and combating for each level, in any other case you may’t achieve success at this stage. Each level counts. Typically in the event you present unhealthy emotion for just some factors, it may be the tip of your match. It is a very powerful stage.”

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.