Wojciech Zalewski, a tennis player from Czarnków, has been promoting our city on tennis courts throughout Poland for years. In 2024, our representative started off with a high C, and it only got better from there. In his first appearance this year on January 6th, at the Centrum Tenisowego Sobota courts, Wojtek reached the final, however this time his opponent managed to come out victorious. A week later, the resident of Czarnków was out of reach for the other players, winning the Puchar Centrum Tenisowego Angie in Puszczykowo, at the facility of tennis world star Angelique Kerber. After this victory, our city’s homegrown player took the lead in the 1st League of the Polish Tennis League (PLT), the largest tennis federation in Poland. In each of the 2 tournaments, he played 6 matches, winning 11. The following weeks brought new challenges, with new boundaries crossed, and new opponents from various parts of our country, all eager to dethrone the leader. However, Wojtek has not allowed himself to be knocked off yet. The next tournament at the Omega Sport facility in Smolec near Wrocław was full of drama, as Wojtek lost a match in the group stage, advancing to the knockout stage from second place. Second place in the group meant a tougher next match, facing the top player from another group. Luckily, his experience allowed him to secure more victories and advance to the final. Fate led him down a path in the bracket where he had to face the same opponent he had lost to in the group stage. The two men were to face each other again and show who was in better form that day. Wojtek learned from the first meeting and this time defeated his opponent, winning another tournament trophy. The last weekend of January was another opportunity to solidify his position in the ranking after the first month of the year, but also a chance for competitors to close in on the leader. Competing at the Kortowo facility in Poznań, where Wojtek had watched the Polish national team led by Hubert Hurkacz a few years ago, turned out to be another successful performance. Winning the tournament without a loss allowed Wojtek to remain the leader. He returned to the same place for the next tournament, as the Kortowa 2024 Grand Slam was held there. Familiarity with the venue, but most importantly with the surface, and confidence from the previous event, allowed him to claim another title. His sixth appearance of the year took him to Stargard for the 2024 Winter Championships of West Pomerania. The strong competition required a tremendous effort, but the player from Czarnków played inspired tennis, defeating two favorites in the quarterfinals and semifinals, before closing out the tournament with another triumph. The high-level competition allowed Wojtek to raise his form, which proved crucial in the next tournament at the Angie facility, where he was defending a title won a few weeks prior. The extraordinary field of talent, including several former top-ranked players, made the title defense a challenging task. Playing at the highest level of their abilities, a game of full risk on the edge of error, and maintaining high concentration throughout the tournament were essential elements in the pursuit of success. Dreams do come true, one must strongly believe and strive for them. And they did come true. Wojtek won another tournament. It goes without saying that in sports, dreams must be supported by prior preparation and intensive training. Dedication and hard work during training sessions allow athletes to achieve great success in sports. After such successes, it’s hard to stop. The following Sunday, competition moved to Aqua Tur Szczecinek, where the resident of Czarnków did not give up in any of the next 5 matches, winning the trophy in Szczecinek. It was time to head to the other side of Poland. On the last Saturday of March 2, our athlete headed to Łódź to the Start Tennis Club. Here, he confidently won the group stage, quarterfinals, and semifinals, before facing the second favorite of the tournament in the final. His opponent had previously played in the Danish and English leagues, and was now trying his luck in Poland. After the first set, the rival took the lead in the match, pushing Wojtek to play even better. In response, Wojtek raised his game and leveled the score, losing just one game in the second set. The third set was a Super Tie-break, the ultimate showdown to 10 points (with a two-point advantage). This led to an extremely intense, almost brutal battle of attrition. Long rallies, sharp winners, quick and precise serves mixed with high-spin shots showed the beauty of tennis and sportsmanship. The player from London reached match point at 9:8. Wojtek took a huge risk, serving with full power without losing control at such a crucial moment, and it paid off as his opponent hit the ball far beyond the baseline, resulting in an out. The next two points from 9:9 were won by Wojtek, allowing him to raise his hands in triumph. Łódź conquered! In summary, Wojtek Zalewski from Czarnków is currently the “number one” among amateurs in the National Ranking of the POLISH TENNIS LEAGUE. He has been at the top after 9 rounds, for 8 weeks in a row. To reach that position, he had to defeat many excellent players, not only from our country but also from others such as Bydgoszcz, Chojnice, Głogów, Gniezno, Jarocin, Jelenia Góra, Kędzierzyn Koźle, Kołobrzeg, Leszno, Łódź, Milicz, Nowy Tomyśl, Poznań, Rawicz, Stargard, Starogard Gdański, Szczecin, Trzcianka, Wrocław, Zielona Góra, Zawiercie, Złotów, and many other locations. Many tennis facilities speak of the player from Czarnków and describe his successes. The sports achievements of our city’s resident are a certain promotion not only on the court but also in the media. Tennis fans across Poland reading about the Polish Tennis League and its current leader from Czarnków will surely come across websites and social media related to our city. Wojtek, congratulations and best wishes for further success. For more information on the Polish Tennis League: www.polskaligatenisa.pl