Inside-In Podcast: Marcos Giron's full court press

There's no shortage of American male tennis prospects. With 12 players from the U.S. in the Top 100, there's a real sense of optimism that at least one of them will break the 18-year major title drought that has plagued a nation rich in the sport's tradition. Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul—these guys are right in the mix like they were destined to be. But Marcos Giron? The kid from Thousand Oaks, Calif., that's battled injuries, been pro for seven years and is just now becoming a regular on the ATP circuit? He's a different story entirely.

Giron joined Tennis Channel's Inside-In to discuss how things finally came together for him in 2021, a year in which he won 23 ATP matches, represented Team USA in the Olympics, and jumped several of those high profile Americans in the rankings. Despite several rough years on the Challenger Tour, injuries to both hips & countless other setbacks, he has remained dedicated to his craft. On his injury-plagued 2016 season, Giron remained positive, "This is a good time to rest up and re-assess my game" he said. "I'm just going to keep moving forward. And I think tennis honestly teaches you that."

Once healthy again, he started to shine. A relentless work ethic and the chance to play more ATP events helped build his confidence and the results followed. No longer an outsider in the locker room, Giron is just one of the guys now. And while the age of 28 doesn't seem as old as it used to, the California native knows he has to maximize this stage of his career. "The first few years of my career were a bit slower than I would've like," he lamented. "I don't want to just win a match here or there...I want to go play for titles and be in the second week of slams."

While 2021 seems like the culmination of a long winding road his legitimacy, we may have some distance from its peak. There's more balls to hit, more work to put in, and many more chances to compete on the world's tennis stage. As Giron demonstrated by telling his story on the Inside-In podcast, the proof is in the pudding.

It's a lesson we can all learn, from athletics, to business, to life. Whether we were "supposed" to be here or not doesn't matter. Roll up those sleeves and get to work. It's surprising what one can accomplish with this mindset.