Feb 10 2023 26 mins
This week the Lucky Letcord Podcast welcomes special guest Aleks Kovacevic.
A former NCAA All-American at Illinois, Kovacevic has transitioned seamlessly to the ATP Tour over the last 18 months. He was 370 in the rankings this time last year but now sits at 125 -- a stone's throw from the top 100 -- after claiming his maiden challenger title in Cleveland on Sunday.
Host Chris Oddo talks to the 24-year-old about the difficulties of transitioning into the pro game and the highs and lows of his first formative months on tour.
We run through Kovacevic's journey to South Korea last year, where he made his ATP debut in Seoul and powered into the semifinals with wins over Miomir Kecmanovic, Jason Tseng and Mackenzie McDonald.
It's not so much about hitting a high level, Kovacevic tells the podcast, it's about hitting a high level consistently.
Kovacevics talks about his difficult trip to Australia this year and then reflects on what it was like watching his good friends JJ Wolf and Ben Shelton battle for a spot in the quarterfinals in Melbourne. Naturally, there were some mixed emotions but ultimately the rise of the American men is giving Kovacevic reason to believe he can soon be there too.
We also get an inside view on the emotional pitfalls of spending life on the road full-time, and get a coaching update.
Thanks to Aleks for joining and thanks to y'all for listening!!!!
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