SZCZECIN/STARNBERG, September 10, 2025
Szymon Walkow arrived in at the Invest In Szczecin Open straight from Genoa, where he captured an important doubles title alongside Dutchman Mick Veldheer. Last year he reached the final of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Poland and this time he is hoping to go one better.
The 29-year-old home favourite is competing in Szczecin alongside Spanish veteran Inigo Cervantes and they advanced to the second round after receiving a walkover from the Czech duo Hynek Barton and Vit Kopriva on Wednesday.
“I came to Szczecin fresh off a win in Genoa – that’s definitely a highlight of my year,” he says. “Overall the season has been mixed, with some good moments and some weaker ones. After the Kozerki Open I realised I needed a break and a different perspective. I took three weeks off, rested, recharged and that freshness brought me the victory in Genoa.”
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During that break there was time for padel as well as the beach. “I even played a padel tournament with Karol Drzewiecki,” Walkow smiles. “But mainly I spent time with my family – we went to the seaside with my wife and a friend. Then I came home, trained hard and felt more fire on court.”
One of the biggest challenges in doubles, he explains, is finding a stable partner. Walkow broke into the Top 100 alongside Jan Zielinski, and the pair enjoyed a strong run together. “Stability is crucial. Together you plan your schedule and improve what isn’t working. You win and lose as a team.”
Asked why Zielinski moved higher in the rankings, Walkow is pragmatic: “Timing and circumstances. Jan had a great tournament with Hubert Hurkacz, then started playing with Hugo Nys. They caught momentum, made the Slams and took their chances. But they also showed the quality Janek had at that moment.”
He knows from experience that the gap between players ranked between 100 and 150 and the very top in doubles is slim. “Margins are minimal. Often it’s one point, one lapse in concentration, one tiebreak. That’s why the best pairs are those who keep a consistently high level all year. But that doesn’t mean someone ranked 130 can’t beat the top teams. At the US Open, Hubert and I beat the No. 4 seeds. We served well, got one or two breaks, and that was enough.”
Walkow acknowledges the frustrations of super tie-breaks. “Sometimes you lose several of those in a row – that’s the nature of doubles. I think with advantages and a third set the better team would win more often, but the rules are set by others and we must adapt.”
He would also like to see doubles promoted more strongly. “In the media it’s almost invisible, and when it is shown it’s usually through the lens of singles players pairing up. Yet doubles is dynamic and spectacular with many twists and turns. Recreational players love to watch it – maybe something could be done to promote it better. But that’s up to the federations.”
Away from tennis, Walkow is a passionate basketball fan. He follows the Polish league closely and supports his hometown club Sląsk Wrocław, while also keeping up with the NBA through a fantasy league he runs with fellow tennis players. He has twice attended NBA games – first more than a decade ago when he was a hitting partner for Coco Vandeweghe, whose family has deep NBA ties, and again last year at Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks.
His love of basketball comes from his father, who played in his youth and taught Szymon and his brother. “Basketball has always been with us,” he says. “It’s one of my favourite sports, if not my favourite.”
Ultimately, though, tennis won out. His older brother began playing when an indoor hall opened at AZS in Wrocław and the family spent long hours there. “That’s how we ended up in tennis,” he recalls.
Does he ever regret not pursuing basketball? “It’s hard to say. I love basketball, but my physical attributes don’t give me much advantage there. I am curious how life in a team sport feels – the locker room, travelling together, team atmosphere. That’s something I would enjoy.”
He still hopes to attend an international game with his family – he tried to take his father, brother and nephew to Poland’s EuroBasket match against Slovenia and Luka Doncic, but logistics got in the way. “Maybe another time,” he smiles. “Hopefully one day I can fit it into my tournament schedule.”
