Scuba fan Berkieta dives into quarters and reveals quirky Kyrgios link
As someone who enjoys exploring the bottom of the ocean, powerful Polish teenager Tomasz Berkieta has good reason to be able to hold his breath for an extended period.
The 17-year-old, who has progressed to the boys' singles quarter-finals at Roland Garros, loves nothing better when away from the court than scuba diving and open sea diving.
The right-hander, who defeated good friend Charlie Robertson from Scotland 6-3 4-6 6-4 on Wednesday in Paris, explained he can hold his breath for up to 4.5 minutes in water.
He required the ability to breath deeply against Robertson in a physical match, for his Scottish rival rallied strongly in the second set and continued to press deep in the third set.
“I wouldn’t say it helps on the court, because while I can hold my breath for four to 4.5 minutes, it is a different type of breathing that you use on the court,” he said.
“It does help me to calm down after matches or before sleeping, but it does not have an impact on how I am performing on the court.”
His progression to the last eight marks the third time in Berkieta’s career that the Warsaw-born junior has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.
He reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open last January and then the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in a year where he also won a match on debut for Poland in Davis Cup.
Having the opportunity to practice with, listen to and learn from Poland’s top-10 ranked star Hubert Hurkacz during the tie against Poland last September was invaluable, Berkieta said.
“It was a great experience to feel the ball, which was quite comfortable, actually,” he said.
“He is showing the younger tennis players the way as to how to become a top tennis player. It is amazing that we have such a player and, of course, Iga Swiatek is also up there. It is amazing that we have such a player. She is something special.
“Of course we had Agnieszka Radwanska, who was still a great player, and Hurkacz has been up there, but what Iga has done for two years is unbelievable.”
The experience against Barbados was noteworthy but not the only Davis Cup memory that Berkieta, who was clocked serving at 233kmh at the Australian Open, has.
Berkieta was working as a ball boy during a tie between Poland and Australia in 2013 when he was hit by a thunderstruck serve from Nick Kyrgios and had to leave the court.
While it sounds painful, it served as an example of how hard professionals hit the ball and it is one that he remembers fondly, he said.
“It was actually a great experience that I got hit by Kyrgios by a serve at 230kmh in the stomach,” he said.
“I was able to stay up but the guy who was in charge was concerned and said something happened to me, because I took two steps to the side, so he took me out.
“But it was a great experience and a great memory, to be honest, and it was something special to feel the energy from the other side this year, being a player and not a ball boy.”