Coming from a household with a motorsports background, Mark Lajal was doubtless set to observe the identical path. But life had one thing else within the playing cards for the 20-year-old Estonian who received his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in June.
At a career-high No. 224 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Lajal spent his early years along with his arms on handlebars earlier than he ever picked up a racquet.
“I wasn’t actually imagined to be a tennis participant. I come from a household in motorsports,” Lajal instructed ATPTour.com. “My dad was a motocross racer and my grandpa was a rally driver. I come from a really sporting household, however a really excessive sporting household. When I used to be youthful, from like three years previous, I began racing bikes. I raced them till I used to be eight or 9 years previous.”
With a singular background indifferent from tennis, it begs the query: How did Lajal first begin enjoying the game by which he’s now knowledgeable?
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“When I used to be six years previous, my dad went on a highway journey along with his motorbike… I used to be with my mother in the summertime and my mother didn’t need to take me to motocross races as a result of she didn’t prefer it, so she put me into tennis,” Lajal said. “So I began enjoying tennis on the facet and I appreciated it clearly. When I used to be 9, I selected tennis over motocross and now I’m right here.”
Lajal said that he nonetheless has an curiosity in motorsports, most notably Formula One. His upbringing just isn’t the one factor that units Lajal’s story other than others. What may additionally catch followers off guard is his distinct dreadlocks.
“I’ve had them for a really very long time. I feel now it’s been like 12, 13 years,” Lajal mentioned. “It has sort of grow to be an enormous a part of me and my picture. Lots of people know me simply from my dreads. I take pleasure in it and I feel it’s cool.
“The actual motive why I did it was as a result of my older sister she did them and I noticed them and I used to be so fascinated. I used to be like, ‘Mom, I need to do it!’ She was like, ‘Do it, it’s your hair, no matter occurs, occurs’. So I did them and I liked them, so I stored them.”
Credit: Nelson Chenault
Making a fast rise on the ATP Challenger Tour, Lajal mentioned he’s impressed by fellow Estonians Anett Kontaveit, Kaia Kanepi and Jurgen Zopp, stating, “They have confirmed me every little thing is feasible coming from a small tennis nation.”
The Tallinn-native Lajal has competed in lower than a dozen Challenger occasions, triumphing in June in Little Rock, Arkansas, the place he was competing in simply his sixth outing at that stage.
“It felt actually good. It sort of gave me reassurance once I received it as a result of it confirmed me that I’ve the extent to beat some actually good guys and get some good matches in,” Lajal mentioned. “It gave me a variety of confidence. I used to be actually joyful after that win.”
Still early in his younger profession, Lajal has all the time dreamed large since he first started enjoying tennis.
“My mother remembers me telling her at age seven or eight, ‘I’m going to win the US Open!’” Lajal mentioned. “When I used to be actually younger I had the fervour and once I began enjoying tournaments, that’s once I needed to be knowledgeable tennis participant.”
Mark Lajal wins the ATP Challenger Tour 75 occasion in Little Rock, Arkansas. Credit: Nelson Chenault
Source: www.atptour.com