Player Feature: Piotr Lomacki
by Chantal Lue, Miami communications student
“What’s my lifestyle? … Tennis.”
Piotr Lomacki is a man of few words. But the little that he speaks, speaks volumes, and if there is one thing that he can’t say enough is that he loves everything about the game of tennis.
Lomacki is currently in his first season playing with the University of Miami men’s tennis team. He came in as a nationally ranked freshman from Poland, ranking 794th in the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) World Tour.
Although Lomacki has not been satisfied with his performance with the team thus far, he is continuing to work on bettering his craft.
“I take each day step-by-step,” Lomacki said. “If I play good tennis it’s my ideal day. That’s all that matters.”
Lomacki first started playing tennis at the age of five, after his dad took him to a group lesson in his hometown, Warsaw. At first it wasn’t anything too serious, just a fun past time.
But at the age of 12, he gave up his other involvement of soccer and decided to focus on tennis since he considered himself more of an individualistic person and didn’t enjoy playing on teams.
Since then, Lomacki has gone on to win championships in Poland in both singles and doubles in almost every age category, as well as junior championships around the world, including the 2013 Ozerov Cup in Moscow.
“It was my first international tournament I won so it was big, really big,” Lomacki said.
Lomacki made his first trip to the United States while touring different colleges for where he would like to start his collegiate career.
“It was a long process to recruit,” he said. “I was looking at other schools, visited Mississippi State and University of Miami and after the visits I choose here (UM). I really liked the tennis coaches, the school and the weather.”
Lomacki’s relationship with the men’s tennis team head coach, Mario Rincon, was the major deciding factor when choosing between colleges.
He regards Rincon as one of the best people he has ever met and wanted to spend the next four years of his life under his training staff.
“Pitor is very talented, a hard-worker. He loves tennis. He’s very competitive,” Rincon said. “If you let him practice seven hours a day, he will be out there.”
After joining the team in 2014, Lomacki had to battle against returning senior, Wilfredo Gonzalez for the number one playing spot.
“My relationship with [Piotr] at the beginning was a little bit competitive,” Gonzalez said. “But now it’s just a relationship of both [of us] trying to make the best out of the opportunity we have to be able to help the whole team.”
Their friendly rivalry was set aside as the two teammates put their skills together and won the first doubles match of the season against Notre Dame at the Olympia Fields Country Club Invite in Olympia Fields, Ill. – Lomacki’s first win of his collegiate career.
There, Lomacki would also win his first collegiate career singles match beating Quentin Monaghan from Notre Dame in a three-hour, three setter.
After a great start to his career, Lomacki has suffered some losses throughout the season and is currently trying to refocus his efforts to go out and play to the best of his ability.
“Playing number one is a pressure, but it’s also a challenge,” Lomacki said. “When you know how good you can play, it’s very frustrating when you aren’t playing your best.”
When Lomacki is not on the tennis courts of the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, you can find him in his dorm room relaxing and watching movies.
“I like all types of movies. No favorite genre. I enjoy watching them all.”
Lomacki likes to think of himself as just a regular guy. His definition of success is ultimately to be happy.
“I want to be happy with my performance or making someone else happy, because our opinion doesn’t always matter.”
