International tennis player Daniel Blinov trains in the Coachella Valley to reach his dream
Kenji Ito
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) Here at the Rozpedski Performance Tennis Academy, they have a special player, Daniel Blinov, and he couldn’t be more grateful to call the valley his home, which has helped him achieve his dream.
“Being here, being in the middle of such a hotbed of tennis is honestly incredible, and I could not wish to be in a better place than this right now,” Blinov said.
This place means more to Daniel than you may think. Being in the valley, facing the desert’s conditions, it’s built him to be ready and face any challenge that comes his way.
“The intensity of the workouts, of the practices, the fact that we go 5 to 6 hours a day, it’s, it’s perfect for me,” Blinov said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the player. It’s about whether you’re willing to put the work in.”
He has put in the work, which has not gone unnoticed by his coach.
“For him to in two weeks blossom into almost a full-grown big-time tennis player is unbelievable,” owner/director of the Rozpedski Tennis Academy Marcin Rozpedski said.
Coming off winning the Newport Beach 25K wildcard tournament, it’s his determination that makes him the champion he is today.
“I’ve always been focused on what comes next because, of course, sometimes you can feel like you’re facing overwhelming odds, but at the end of the day, it’s just about whether you can keep going or not,” Blinov said.
With all the tools that Daniel possesses, his coaches realized that his dream will soon become a reality in playing professional tennis.
“He’s got a great potential,” owner/director of the Rozpedski Tennis Academy Rozpedski said. “He’s got a big game. He walks on the court and he’s got a big statue about him, big footwork, big game. He hits an incredibly heavy ball, so all those things are a huge potential for him to become a professional tennis player.