Was an umbrella what motivated Edas Butvilas to achieve pro dream? | ATP Tour

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Was an umbrella what motivated Butvilas to attain professional dream?

The 20-year-old just lately gained his first ATP Challenger Tour title

October 03, 2024

The gamers had been awarded their trophies, one for the champion and one for the runner-up.
Then got here a further prize: an enormous field of juice, reserved for the titlist, and an umbrella for the finalist. For a pair of eight-year-olds, this was a drastic distinction.

Edas Butvilas was delivered to tears when he obtained the umbrella. It was a punch to the intestine whereas his shut buddy, Vilius Gaubas, left the Lithuanian metropolis of Palanga with the larger trophy and coveted juice.

Years later, that second stands out as each Butvilas and Gaubas at the moment are rising #NextGenATP stars who’re having fun with promising begins on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“I misplaced the ultimate and I bear in mind precisely. I cried for a very long time as a result of I wished the large field of juice and at the moment I didn’t care in regards to the umbrella in any respect, I gave it away to my dad and mom,” Butvilas informed ATPTour.com.

“The loss wasn’t that painful, however I noticed what he received for the prizes, it was actually unhappy. I nonetheless bear in mind it. I speak about it typically with Vilius.”

Coming into the 2024 season, there had solely been two Lithuanian winners in Challenger historical past (since 1978): Ricardas Berankis and Laurynas Grigelis. Butvilas, who gained final week’s Charleston Challenger, and Gaubas have every secured their maiden title at that degree up to now two months.

Gaubas is ninth within the PIF ATP Reside Race To Jeddah, 5 spots forward of Butvilas. They’re each aiming for maiden qualification for the 20-and-under Subsequent Gen ATP Finals introduced by PIF.

For Lithuania, a rustic with a comparatively small imprint in tennis historical past, the longer term is vivid.

“This is without doubt one of the finest issues that may occur, that we dreamed of,” Butvilas stated of his rise alongside Gaubas. “We grew up collectively. We’re the identical age so we had been dreaming collectively, enjoying collectively and now rising up like this, it’s only a dream come true.”

Butvilas, who grew up in Klaipeda, started enjoying tennis aged two alongside his father Tomas, who’s a tennis coach. When Butvilas was round age 11, his mom, Dana, started taking him to worldwide tournaments.

“I bear in mind going with my mother within the automobile and we had been driving a number of kilometres collectively, simply enjoying many tournaments,” Butvilas stated. “Round Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, actually shut. Poland, typically Germany, Austria. Generally going to Iceland, I’ve been there two instances, I believe to play Tennis Europe.”

Butvilas grew up idolising Roger Federer and former World No. 50 Berankis, whose 15 Challenger titles leads Lithuanians. “He confirmed that even from a small nation like Lithuania, we are able to do actually good in tennis,” Butvilas stated.

At age 15, Butvilas moved to Alicante, Spain to start coaching on the Membership Atlético Montemar. Butvilas met coach Ivan Navarro, who has been travelling with the Lithuanian for roughly two years.

Butvilas final week earned a milestone victory when he claimed his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on the onerous courts of Charleston, South Carolina. It was simply his ninth outing on the Challenger degree.

Edas Butvilas wins his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Charleston, South Carolina.” model=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/photographs/information/2024/09/30/16/59/butvilas-charlestonch-2024.jpg”>Edas Butvilas triumphs on the Challenger 75 occasion in Charleston. Credit score: LTP Challenger

Butvilas, now at a career-high World No. 261 within the PIF ATP Rankings, turned the primary fortunate loser Challenger champion since February 2023.

“It’s nonetheless robust to consider it as a result of I used to be so near being out of the event,” Butvilas stated. “I misplaced in qualies and I received the lucky-loser spot after which every little thing went my manner.

“It was actually robust circumstances there, so scorching and humid. Within the second spherical of qualies, I cramped within the final set and nearly threw up. I used to be feeling actually unhealthy. Then I received the lucky-loser spot and I needed to play the following day once more and I gained 7-5 within the third. Mentally, I fought quite a bit that week.”

Nonetheless early in his profession, Butvilas has already realized an necessary lesson: the tide will flip in your favour in case you stay resilient.

“I misplaced many shut matches this yr. My coach all the time informed me that tennis can change actually quick at any level,” Butvilas stated. “I simply was considering, ‘Why not this time?’”

Did You Know?Butvilas is a two-time junior Slam doubles champion. He gained the 2021 Wimbledon boys’ doubles occasion alongside Alejandro Manzanera Pertusa and the 2022 Roland Garros boys’ doubles title with Mili Poljicak.