This is the 15098th most frequent Polish word.
rywal
Rival.
Used to denote a competitor in a contest or competition.
Rywal pokonał go w wyścigu.
The rival defeated him in the race.
Here 'rywal' is used abstractly to indicate perceived competition in intellectual pursuits.
Zawsze uważał go za swojego rywala w nauce.
He always considered him his rival in academics.
Implies a competitive counterpart in a sports game or similar scenario.