![\"Vit](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/kopriva-kvitova-us-open-2025.jpg\")
<\/p>\n ATP Tour
\n Kopriva grew up 200 metres from Kvitova, now faces Sinner at US Open<\/p>\n
Learn more about the 28-year-old Czech<\/p>\n
August 25, 2025<\/p>\n
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Getty Images<\/p>\n
Vit Kopriva and Petra Kvitova are from the same small town, Bilovec, in Czechia.
\n By Andrew Eichenholz<\/p>\n
Vit Kopriva<\/a> will compete inside the biggest tennis-only stadium in the world Tuesday when he takes on defending champion Jannik Sinner<\/a> in the first round of the US Open<\/a>. The 28-year-old has come a long way from Fulnek, Czechia, the small town of less than 6,000 people where he grew up.<\/p>\n Coincidentally, Kopriva is not the only professional tennis player from Fulnek. He grew up two blocks from two-time Wimbledon<\/a> champion Petra Kvitova, who played the final match of her career Monday at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n \u201c[Tennis] was more and more popular with my friends and everyone in the town,\u201d Kopriva told ATPTour.com. \u201c[It was] such a good achievement for her to win Wimbledon<\/a> a first time, then a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n Their connection was much more significant than being neighbours. Kvitova\u2019s father and brother coached Kopriva. Being reminded of that brought a smile to Kvitova\u2019s face ahead of the US Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are playing different styles a little bit, but it\u2019s actually really fun. My dad when I left the city, he wanted to coach, so he wanted to coach Vitek,\u201d Kvitova told ATPTour.com. \u201c[Then] he felt like he got old, so my brother took care of him. They are still watching his matches and now he played Korda in Winston-Salem and my dad was watching him and texting me how he played. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still in the family, so it\u2019s nice. We were literally growing up 200 metres from each other, so it was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n You May Also Like: Sinner \u2018feeling good\u2019 ahead of chase for rare US Open title defence<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cShe’s older than me, so she was playing much better tennis,\u201d Kopriva added. \u201cBut her family was [with me] at the beginning of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n When Kopriva was growing up, he had plenty of countrymen and countrywomen to look up to. Although he did not follow professional tennis every week, he was well aware of the likes of Tomas Berdych<\/a> and Radek Stepanek<\/a>, who led their country to Davis Cup glory in 2012 and 2013.<\/p>\n \u201cBerdych was winning every year something, [and he was] Top 10 for I don’t know how long. He was there all the time,\u201d Kopriva said. \u201cAt that time, I didn’t realise that he was that good. Now I can admit it’s even better than I thought when I was young. But it was so cool that if you were watching tennis on TV and the Czechs were there, you could watch them and cheer for them. That was pretty cool for young players to have idols to like tennis more.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t realise how tough it is to get to the top, [like] I\u2019ve realised now\u2026 The players were there, you were cheering for them. They won the Davis Cup, they won the [Billie Jean King] Cup, all the achievements were there.\u201d<\/p>\n Kopriva\u2019s own breakthrough came in 2021, when as the No. 249 player in the PIF ATP Rankings he reached the semi-finals of the Gstaad ATP 250 event. <\/p>\n \u201cThat was I think the most important event for myself to believe that I can be better,\u201d Kopriva recalled. \u201cI beat Shapovalov in the second round. It was my first upset win, it was huge for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n The Czech\u2019s clash with Sinner will not be the first time he will compete on such a stage. Last year, Kopriva played Novak Djokovic<\/a> in the first round at Wimbledon<\/a>, falling in straight sets.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I learned a lot: how good he is, the experience of playing in such a big stadium, the way he plays, how he acts,\u201d Kopriva said. \u201cThen I had a pretty good season to break into the Top 100, so I guess I took from the match only positive things, even if it didn\u2019t go my way.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"It](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756169407_124_it-all-adds-up-banner.jpg\"\/)
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