The CM English translation is given as ‘John has a natural bent for tennis.’ This suggests that John has a natural ability to play tennis, in other words he was able to play tennis well from the very first time and he needed little training.
I’ve only come across the Polish phrase ‘czuję pociąg do …’ before in the context of ‘to feel an attraction towards something/someone’ e.g. ‘Ale możliwe, że dlatego czuję pociąg’ (True, but maybe that is why I am drawn/attracted to it).
In Polish, can it also mean to have a natural ability for something, as suggested by the English translation provided? Thanks
“Czuć pociąg” is definitely about being drawn to something or interested in something, and it doesn’t say anything about one’s ability. So you’re right, it’s not the best translation of the English sentence.
I think a better way to say “to have a natural bent for sth” or “to have a knack for sth” would be "mieć żyłkę do czegoś”, so here it’d more fitting to say "John ma żyłkę do tenisa.” It’s a bit informal, but commonly used when talking about hobbies, sports, manual skills etc.