Polish commentary great Karol Stopa dies aged 78

He had been with Eurosport almost since the Polish brand of the network was founded.

Stopa had not been feeling well recently. However, once the heat wave passed, his strength returned.

”On Wednesday, we were talking as usual and made plans to meet for coffee. We were going to review Wimbledon together soon,” said Lech Sidor, his longtime friend both on the court and behind the microphone.

That turned out to be impossible. The commentator passed away on Thursday morning, and Sidor bid farewell to his friend on social media.

”There will be no more duet; no one will ever write again that ‘the old guy’ knows nothing about tennis and just tells his anecdotes," he wrote.

"My greatest FRIEND left this world early this morning; we will never again hear his famous hoarse voice. Karol Stopa will never announce a match again! Farewell, Karol!”

Karol Stopa was born on March 12, 1948, in Warsaw. In his youth, he was an active tennis player, competing for the Warszawianka club. He never stopped being a presence on the court, successfully participating in tennis tournaments for journalists in later years.

He was a graduate of the University of Warsaw, where he earned degrees in journalism and law. Professionally, he was associated with Kurier Polski starting in 1971, and later with Przegląd Sportowy.

In 1989, he became the program secretary of the sports department at Telewizja Polska, and he also served as the producer of sports and current affairs programs. From 1997 to 1998, he was the head of TVN’s sports department. He was already associated with Eurosport at that time, which had launched its Polish-language channel in April 1996.

As a tennis commentator, he was nearly flawless. His superb voice, combined with a perfect understanding of the game and outstanding expertise, ensured that matches featuring him were never watched indifferently. His presence alone gave them an unforgettable atmosphere.

”He was a calm man, a tennis expert of the highest calibre, and very kind. He was very dedicated to his work, as anyone who knew him will confirm,” recalled Witold Domanski, founder of Eurosport’s sports editorial team.

”I’ll never forget when I assigned Karol to commentate on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. As is usual for such events, 300 pages of materials were sent over. He meticulously studied everything. His co-commentator, Zdzisław Ambroziak, could only shake his head in disbelief,” he added.

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