See show Andy Valdivia is bringing tennis history to life at his newest mural in Topeka

Tennis players and fans funneled into the Kossover Tennis Center on Tuesday for the Topeka West Invitational.

The players were preparing for an arduous tournament featuring some of the best talent in Shawnee County. Parents were unfolding their lawn chairs, unpacking a snack and ready to lounge.

Before any of this could happen, each person entering the complex had to pass Andy Valdivia.

Mural artist dives into tennis history

The artist parked himself on the east side of the tennis center and mixed his paint. His elegant brush skills and technical ability were on full display just like the graceful footwork of nearby tennis players.

Valdivia is working on a mural that will cover the entire east wall of the Kossover Tennis Center. He is more than halfway complete with the project. The southeast portion is finished, while Valdivia is working through the northeast part of the wall. The project will take the artist upward of 500 hours to complete.

“Doing it,” Valdivia laughed when asked what is the hardest part in creating a mural this size. “The details and the trophies, make it pop. When it is all said and done, I will be glad that I did it.”

The mural features the most prominent tennis legends from Novak Djokovic to Coco Gauff, Valdivia has painted today’s best players. He also painted the players that created the sport.

On the northeast portion of the mural, Valdivia added the hourglass court. This was the first type of court that tennis was played on in 1874. Each mural has the word “Love” inscribed in the piece. It is an homage to the score of zero in the sport that he desperately enjoys or loves.

“It’s fun, but it is tiring. You just want to quit, but at the same time, it keeps pushing you,” Valdivia said.

Two Kansas athletes included in tennis mural at Kossover

Valdivia’s mural also includes two Kansans. Former professional Jack Sock, who played at Blue Valley North High School, is prominently featured.

Nick Taylor from Wichita is another Kansan on the art piece. Taylor is known as one of the best wheelchair tennis players of all-time. He is a three-time Paralympic doubles gold medal winner and will forever be a part of the Kossover Tennis Center.

The quality of Valdivia’s work doesn't go unnoticed. He started crafting this piece on smaller canvasses and in notebooks in 2019. His attention to detail in a piece full of grandeur makes it striking.

Even tennis fans at Tuesday’s tournament stopped to admire his hard work that is close to completion.

Andy Valdivia: History lives at Our Lady of Guadalupe and its activity center

“Great job, Andy,” one fan said as they passed.

It’s an incredible piece of work that Alexis Czapinski has admired. Czapinski is the new director of tennis at Kossover. She graduated from Washburn in 2019 after three All-American seasons. Czapinski knows her tennis and also knows that Valdivia’s work will only amplify the sport in the capital city.

“When you walk in, many people will want to just hit around a little bit, but walking by and seeing the mural, I think will help people get interested and involved,” Czapinski said. “(Topeka) more than deserves this. Topeka tennis is special.”

Artist enjoys the challenge of murals

Valdivia will be the first to tell you that he is glutton for punishment. He enjoys the challenge of murals just like the many pieces that he has accomplished in his past. What makes this piece difficult is the minute details of the rackets and buttons on the players’ shirts. It may be cumbersome, but Valdivia wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I like it when I finish it. You live with it for a little bit and it’s like you’re married. You find little things,” the artist said with a laugh. “I like the challenge and it worked out well.”

On to the next one: How Topeka multi-sport athletes find success through short transitions

Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Inside Andy Valdivia's newest mural at Topeka's Kossover Tennis Center