Milan Ludik, Czech Republic’s top men’s singles player, hopes that Tokyo will be the one after missing out on Rio.

Ludik, 27, currently sits at 128 in the world and earlier this year managed a semifinal result at the Kenya International. Discussing his take on how the Olympic qualification is going, he says.

- It is very hard to say as of yet whether I am satisfied or disappointed. Naturally, it will very much depend on the final result. I had some tough losses this year, but I still believe that I will manage to qualify to Tokyo.

Ludik has embarked on the long road to Tokyo, travelling far and wide in the hunt for points. Giving us an insight into how it is to be a player in the middle of all of this, Ludik states. 

- It is always a very exciting year to hunt the points all around the world but at the same time, it is very demanding. Honestly, I am looking forward to travelling less and having more time for preparation.

Ludik has been training hard at the Centre Of Excellence with other players going through a similar battle for places. Playing in a large set-up can ease the stress of the qualification year, as you have the support of others are going through the same. However, Ludik talks about what has been the biggest challenge for him this past year. 

- For sure it has been finding the right balance between effective training and not playing too many tournaments. I didn´t always succeed but with the help of my coaches, I always managed to get back on the right track.

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Resilience and understanding

Ludik, who has four titles to his name, missed out on Rio 2016, but this time Ludik believes it is different.

- I was very close to qualify to Rio 2016. Each time it is a very different experience with different struggles for me. I am quite positive that going through it once before it gave me much more resilience and understanding of what it takes.

An experience like this can certainly change the narrative for a player and strengthen their resolve for the next attempt. This is how Ludik seems to be taking it, but would this be his last Olympic qualification? 

- That is very hard for me to say. Before I used to think that it would be my last qualification but the current situation with the pandemic gave me a break from travelling and more focus for development which started another spark in me to continue and face other challenges.