Alex is originally from the Ukraine and started playing
tennis there at the age of 8. His Dad took him to a squad one day, Alex
admits that he didn't like tennis at first [he preferred swimming and
gymnastics] but after playing for a few days he started improving very
quickly and fell in love with the game.
At age 10
he moved to the UK with his parents to live in Middlesex. Alex
started playing at the Globe LTC where they were kind enough to give
him free membership. He was spotted by the county performance officer
of Middlesex who invited him to play for the county team
and he has competed for them at every age group.
Globe
LTC allowed Alex a 1hr weekly private lesson with a coach until he was
14. That's all the coaching
he's received until now in the UK because he could never afford it since then.
At
16, Alex underwent knee surgery for a torn miniscus and other
complications and this took him out of tennis for over a year. He came
back and had nowhere to train and no money, Sutton tennis academy let
him train and live at the centre and gave him the opportunity to coach
and hit with some
youngsters to earn his scholarship.
In 2005 he began playing
professionally full-time on the tennis tour, beginning to make his mark
in futures events over the next two years, rising the singles rankings
and picking up doubles titles in Italy and Australia.
In 2007 Alex won his first singles title in Nigeria and made his debut
on the ATP tour at Queens. In 2008, he made the world's top 300 and
competed at ATP Nottingham and the US Open.
During 2009 Alex competed at the Australian Open, Queens and
Wimbledon before a knee injury put him out for 3 months.
Alex is originally from the Ukraine and started playing
tennis there at the age of 8. His Dad took him to a squad one day, Alex
admits that he didn't like tennis at first [he preferred swimming and
gymnastics] but after playing for a few days he started improving very
quickly and fell in love with the game.