Few years were as good for tennis as 2020 was. The pandemic contributed to the uprise of new tennis players all over the US. Native European tennis player Kacper Owsian, with decades of experience, decided to step into the US tennis scene, making a huge impact as a coach. Owsian is the owner of Sunset Tennis Club in Los Angeles. He seized the opportunity to do what he loved while helping others develop their skills on the court. His passion for the game and years of experience led him to great success in the states.
With a sizable Instagram account and content deals with recognizable brands such as Wilson and Nike, Owsian continues to contribute to the sport every day and in every way possible. The partnership led to wonderful memories and experiences for Owsian, including playing doubles at the Wilson event in New York with Gael Monfils (#24 in the world) and Karen Khachanov ( #13 in the world). He also practiced with Stefanos Tsitsipas (#6 in the world) and met the world’s top players at various events across the USA. Although now a supporting member of the Los Angeles tennis community, Owsian’s road to get there was an interesting one.
“I didn’t have much choice when it came to playing tennis,” Owsian says through laughter. “My parents ran a tennis club back in Poland, and I got my first racket when I was four.” His parents rapidly motivated him to pursue the sport, playing in tournaments as early as 8, and spending summers practicing at the club. He picked up the natural character of wanting to help people along the way- spending time on and off the courts, bonding with members, and growing an undeniable passion for the tennis community.
He had a knack for it, too; his record saw him get a gold medal for every age category he competed in. He began his professional career at 19 years young, traveling the world and expanding his tennis horizons. “My biggest achievement was when I was competing in Polish National Championship,” Owsian recalls. “I got a gold medal in doubles and silver in singles. Plus, tennis led me to play tournaments and leagues in over 30 countries, which always had been a dream of mine.” He fondly revisits his time playing against Gaston Gaudio (a former #1 player in the world) with his nerves ramped up, stepping onto the court, and an adrenaline rush of excitement to match. Experiences like those shaped him into the coach he is today.
For the next stage in his career, Kacper Owsian chose the United States—specifically, Los Angeles. His ultimate dream was to change people’s lives by creating healthy habits, and inspiring and encouraging people to play tennis, all while bringing a community together.
Owsian and his wife pushed through all the hardships, the new culture, the language barrier, and the lack of business skills needed to start and run a tennis academy in the United States. “I was confident we were going to make it because I believed in us,” Owsian says, “but there were some tough moments. Eventually, we had to become very business-savvy and start working toward success on many different fronts at the same time.”
One of the things Owsian became good at during that time was content creation, having created and grown one of the most successful profiles dedicated to tennis on Instagram. “I’ve had some great opportunities for content collaboration with respectable brands, and that’s been incredible,” he says. These days, there is never a shortage of helpful content provided on his account, which ultimately stays true to Kacper’s encouraging and insightful nature. He often includes videos to help seasoned players enhance their game, and to help new players learn.
Kacper Owsian has had some recognizable experiences as well. “I was on the set of King Richard for five days; I played a tennis pro in the movie, and was also practicing with Jon Bernthal before his scenes, something I will remember for a long time,” he says. “I also worked as a tennis double at the Paramount Studios filming Mrs. American Pie. It’s nothing big, but it’s really interesting, and I’m grateful that tennis led me to these awesome opportunities”. Through all of his incredible experiences in the world of tennis, Owsian has remained hard-working and humble, in hopes of giving back to the community.
