10 years in, Denis Kudla continues to navigate life on the pro tour

Every professional tennis player experiences peaks and valleys during their time on the tour. Spend a decade out there grinding it out, and you’re likely to see more than most.

Just ask Denis Kudla.

The American—seeded second at the Northbay Healthcare Men’s Pro Championship, an event on the ATP Challenger circuit in Fairfield, Calif.—is only 27, but has been a professional for 10 years now.

“It’s definitely crazy,” he said at the tournament. “I feel like I’m still pretty young, you know…but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been out here forever. It’s been a long, long time."

“But it’s been a great 10-plus years on tour,” he added. “I’ve had a lot of fun, learned a lot of things, had some great experiences and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Kudla, currently ranked No. 107 in the world, reached his career high of 53 back in 2016, a year that saw him post consistent results on all surfaces between the main tour and Challenger levels. He’s spent the bulk of 2019 in the top 100, only dropping out after the US Open, where he had his best showing in New York as he advanced to the third round.

Getty Images - 2019 US Open

The ups and downs for the professional tennis player are “extremely difficult,” Kudla said, adding that the right support group is crucial in helping to manage expectations.

“When times get low, you really need a good support system, and to keep things in perspective and know it’s really not that bad,” he said. “And when you’re high, keep your ego in check and not get to a point where you stop learning, or you feel like you know everything because that’ll put you right back at the bottom.”

As is the case with the bulk of the players on the ATP Tour, Kudla has seen the reign of the “Big 4”—Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray—up close and personal. He’s a combined 0-4 against Djokovic and Federer. Kudla pushed Federer in two tough sets in the semifinals in Halle, Germany, on grass last year, and dropped his Wimbledon and US Open matches to Djokovic this year. They both present different challenges, he said.

“Roger, what he does, is he knows how to use that slice and he pinpoints his serve incredibly well,” he said. “Serve, first ball is really, really incredible. It’s the best that I’ve ever seen, that I’ve ever played against."

Getty Images - 2019 US Open

“Novak, at the same time, his ball isn’t overpowering, but he moves incredibly well,” Kudla said. “You feel like [what might be] a winner against 99 percent of the tour, it just comes back—and it’s over and over and over. And it really makes you have to play such physical tennis.”

Kudla is part of a deep group of Americans having an impact on the tour, and has deep ties to one of the nation’s brightest young talents: Frances Tiafoe, who followed in Kudla’s footsteps playing in College Park, Maryland.

“Honestly, until I left College Park and went to Florida, I didn’t even know he was going to be that great of a tennis player,” Kudla said.

“He was just a kid around there with the biggest smile. He was just like the happiest kid ever, and I think that’s why so many people love him.”