Our first interview in the series of “10 QUESTIONS TO…” I have conducted with Kasia Kawa, one of the best tennis players in Poland.

2019 was a very important, breakthrough year. Kasia’s successes at tournaments in the United States became her ticket to qualifying for her first Grand Slam Tournament – Roland Garros, followed by Wimbledon and the US Open.

Thanks to further successes in the WTA tournaments, and above all the most valuable for Kasia the one in Yurmala (as a qualifier she went through elimination and then reached the final), she achieved a big advancement in the WTA ranking from 194th place to 128th.

Tonight Kasia will make her debut in qualifying for the next Grand Slam Tournament – Australian Open 2020, where she will play in costumes from the collection created by our joint project.

Kamila Borowska: Kasia, you are the third “tennis racquet” in Poland, and in the world currently 125th. Usually, players work for such high places for years. I am curious when and how your adventure with tennis has started?

Kasia Kawa: My adventure with tennis started when I was 5 years old. It’s hard to call it professional training. In my free time I used to bounce against the wall with Mom. I didn’t go to a tennis school until I was 7 years old for my first lesson. I played once a week with a coach in a group. Nobody was thinking about playing competitive tennis then. I did a variety of sports, trained skiing. In Krynica-Zdrój tennis had no history and was not a popular sport. I think that my whole adventure was born from my passion for tennis. Not only mine, but fortunately also my Mom’s, who still supports me very strongly. I think I must have had a bit of talent back then, but most of all, from a very young age I was very ambitious, determined and loved to compete.

I used to train professionally myself, so I know that success is not only a result of systematic training, ambition and determination, which you mentioned – but also a strong psyche is very important. What gives you strength on the court, how do you motivate yourself when you know that your opponent will be a tennis player with a better ranking?

If I play with a better tennis player, I have no problems with motivation. I love challenges. It’s harder for me to know that no one watches my matches. Especially at smaller tournaments, on the side courts. Here you need a lot of internal motivation. I just like the competition and I love to win. These things make me fight for every point and I want to get better and better.

Once we’re on the subject of players, I’d like to ask you about your tennis idol. Is there a person that you admire the most and on whom you are modeling? What do you value most in her or his game?

When I was a kid, I had posters of various tennis players above my bed. Now it happens to me when I meet the players from my posters and even play with them. It changes the perspective a lot.

I can’t say I have one favorite tennis player. I’m very impressed with Simona Halep. I watch a lot of tennis and try to find something that could improve/maintain my game. From male tennis I like to watch Djokovic’s games. But it’s mainly for pleasure, because it’s impossible to hide that male tennis is based on completely different parameters.

Sometimes you also take part in doubles. How do you choose your partners and which of the current tennis players would you like to play with?

I usually ask the players I know. I’m currently focusing on the singles game. I don’t play too many doubles. It is very hard to combine single and doubles if you want to move forward in the ranking. I like to play doubles as much as possible, but often my strength is more valuable in a season than a few won doubles games.

How do you prepare for the tournaments? Is it a consistent process for all the events of the season, or is it targeted individually for each individual match?

Everyone has their own individual preparation system. I work in cycles of 2-3 weeks. 2-3 weeks of training interspersed with a tournament cycle. In training periods I train more, in tournament periods I mainly play matches or rest. This gives me a sense of balance and enough time to regenerate.

In retrospect, what would you advise young players who are just beginning their tennis adventure?

It’s hard to say. Everyone’s missing something else. First of all, I’d tell them to put their health first. Without a strong and healthy body, no work and no talent will be able to give the expected results.

Obviously, in tennis, the game itself and the results are the most important, but a lot of attention is also paid to the outfit. What is important for you, a professional player, in this aspect and what do you pay attention to when choosing your sportswear?

The important thing is to make it comfortable. That’s the first indication. And I mean the cut and the corresponding light, airy, skin-friendly material. Other criteria are originality, I must like it and whether I feel comfortable in it during the game. I also like the female cut. The perfect outfit has it all.

What was your biggest challenge in your career so far?

Rehabilitation after shoulder surgery and traveling alone to tournaments in Brazil and India

The end of the year is usually a time for summaries – what will you remember most about 2019?

Participation in Grand Slam Tournaments. Especially the first one for me, Roland Garros. And of course the final of the WTA tournament in Jurmala, which is my greatest achievement so far.

Will you share your sports dreams for 2020 with us?

There are several targets. To begin with, the first hundred of the ranking. Then… we’ll see. Appetite grows as you eat 🙂

Then let them all come true as soon as possible! We keep our fingers crossed for the next game.

The AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2020 Collection, which was created for one of the best Polish tennis players KASIA KAWA, is a mix of expressive black and energetic yellow colours, twisted with dynamic graphics and golden finishes.

The basis is as always breathable sports knitted fabrics for special tasks, which are a guarantee of comfort while playing in the hot Australian climate as well as on our native courts during intensive activity.