Few players burst onto the men's professional tennis scene as teenagers in the swashbuckling style of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal.    

Where the exceptional few announce themselves in fairytale fashion with big-stage wins that belie their tender years, most are on a pathway to the professional tour that takes years of steady progress. A slow burn of accumulated mental, physical and tactical growth or, in other words; plenty of patience and a lot of hard work.

Kamil Majchrzak is the epitome of a player on that pathway.

Seven years ago, the Pole prompted an initial flurry of careful spelling of his surname within media outlets across the globe when he won gold at the Youth Olympic Tennis Event in Nanjing. But that notable triumph in 2014 was hardly a guarantee of success in the professional realm.

Majchrzak made steady strides – claiming two ITF singles titles each year between 2014 and 2017 as he worked to improve his ranking, before a double financial boost from the Grand Slam Development Fund in the form of separate $25,000 player grants in 2018 and 2019 elevated his fortunes on court.

“It was definitely a great help for me,” reflected Majchrzak of that GSDF funding last week, while in the midst of leading Poland to a Davis Cup by Rakuten victory over El Salvador.

“Those years were key years for me – when I was between 200 and 300 in the world. I needed to improve my team, to improve my training and travel to more tournaments and [to do that] I basically needed some extra money.

“That money helped me keep my mind safe and clear that I would be able to pay for all of those things. It was a huge help for me. I believe that thanks to the fund I am where I am now… and aiming to be higher.”

Introduced in 2017, the Grand Slam grants programme provides total annual funding of $650,000 to selected players from around the world as a contribution towards their competition-related costs, with the aim of helping them to develop as professional tennis players and compete in Grand Slam tournaments. WTA No. 31 Ons Jabeur, No. 23 Elena Rybakina, ATP No. 22 Cristian Garin and Majchrzak's compatriot Hubert Hurkacz, the world No. 30, are all previous grant recipients who have reaped the benefits of the support.

Now just outside the top 100 at No. 111, Majchrzak has been as high as 83 in the rankings but slipped back out of the elite group after injury and illness shredded his schedule last year.

“2020 wasn’t my best year,” he conceded. “I got injured in the beginning of the year in Australia when I had prepared really good. I was out for five months and time was taking so long for me. Then the tour was stopped.

“It was a crazy year that no-one expected. Coming back and playing the tour was a great thing. Even though I didn’t play my best tennis at those tournaments I was still happy to be back on court competing at the highest level. Then, in December, I got Covid, which interrupted my preparations for 2021. All I can do is accept it and keep going.”

His form while on Davis Cup duty certainly suggests he’s heading back in the right direction. A 6-0 6-0 victory over El Salvador’s Lluis Miralles in just 39-minutes marked the second double bagel of his professional singles career – and first since he achieved the feat in a qualifying match at the 2016 Guayquil Challenger in 2016.

After the high of winning gold at the Youth Olympics, he’s got half an eye on Tokyo too, as well as targeting deeper runs at the four majors.

“The Youth Olympics Games was an amazing event – I still enjoy looking at the gold medal when I’m back at home," he said. "I always enjoy playing for Poland and if it’s the Olympics, I enjoy it even more. I’m looking forward to making my ranking high enough to play Tokyo Olympic Games. I hope I can make it.

“I’m also preparing for the Grand Slams as good as possible. Every top player is there so it’s the place you want to be. You want to compete with the best. I hope to go further at every single tournament.”

In a bid to make that happen, Majchrzak, whose best Grand Slam performance is a third-round run as a qualifier at the 2019 US Open, has linked up with a new coach in Swede Joakim Nystrom.

He certainly feels in good hands under the tutorship of the three-time Davis Cup champion and triple Grand Slam singles quarter-finalist, even if their partnership got off to a rocky start.

“I started working with Joakim in December and it was a difficult time for us," he admitted. "We’d been practicing for only a week and then I got Covid, so I was off for a couple of weeks.

“Coming back wasn’t so easy for me. We had to be very careful, but I’m very satisfied with the way Joakim’s talking to me and the way he wants me to improve. I’m looking forward to keeping our relationship going and I think I have lots of room to improve.

“My goal in 2020 was to end the year in the top 50 but in the end it wasn’t possible for me. I still have it in my mind to be in the top 50 as soon as possible, but first I try to focus on right here, right now. I’ll try to get back into the top 100 and improve my game, improve every day to reach the goal of the top 50. And then… well, hopefully even more.”