Many tennis players from the TOP devote in different charity events or establish a foundation. Alafia Ayeni is currently 435 ATP ranked, but he also has his own mission to complete.
Dołącz do największej grupy tenisowej w Polsce – Nie śpię, bo oglądam tenis
Szymon Przybysz: It’s December, so for most tennis players it’s time to prepare for the next season, what is your major focus for this time?
Alafia Ayeni: December is definitely preseason time for me, so I’ll be training and trying to perfect my game for the new year.
Your style of play is really entertaining, what elements of it are most important to you? I guess service and going to the net?
Yeah, my explosiveness is a big part of my game because I need to get to the net quickly to beat the top players, and my volleys are also quite important. It’s big to have a well-rounded game though because there’s always going to be some time when your opponent has an answer to your game style.
Let’s go back to your beginnings. When did you fall in love with tennis, and could you describe your first steps on the court?
My first time on court was when I was four, but I didn’t love it right away. I’m a big fan of basketball and played it until high school, where I switched to tennis after winning a national title. I love the one-on-one nature of the game, all the result is only on my shoulders.
You reached 27th place in the junior ranking and played in each of the junior Grand Slams. What made you decide to join Cornell University?
Honestly, it was a tough choice, but my parents prioritize my education over everything else. Physicality can go, but the brain won’t. I was lucky enough to find a family at Cornell and people that I loved working with and around. Although I struggled through health issues during much of my time there, I was still able to play at a high level while receiving a good education.
Do you find it hard to combine sport and education?
It’s always hard to combine the two, but I believe that with good time management it is possible. Doing both during teenage years prepares players for life on the tour and stabilizes them mentally.
We have a great doubles player, Jan Zielinski, who graduated from the University of Georgia. He says that this time gave him a lot. Could you outline the positives of playing at the university?
Yeah, university is huge for building mental strength. Opponents try pretty much everything in the book to win, and it’s important to rise above it while still competing, which isn’t easy. In addition, it gives a free education and free access to training, coaches and facilities that players would otherwise have to pay thousands of dollars for.
Your close friends Ben Shelton and Gabriel Diallo are another impressive examples showing that it is possible to study and play at a very high level at the same time. How much influence do their results have on you?
Ben and Gab are two of our best examples of what college can do for players. Both of them have improved by miles since they started, and that’s due in large part to the great environment they’re in. I consider both of them great friends, and their progress has definitely given me a lot of motivation to try and catch up!
Last season was also solid for you. You beat Mmoh, Sandgren, Edmund and some other good tennis players. In addition, you reached the first semifinal at ATP Challenger Tour. Were you surprised by that?
I was not surprised, to be honest. I was very pleased, but I knew for a long time what I was capable of. I made a big change in my mindset midway through the summer, and it showed on the match court.
You have moved to the University of Kentucky, and there you intend to complete your academic journey. Why did you make this decision?
It was actually a very difficult decision that I approached from an analytical perspective. Kentucky has the best coaches in the country, with a team that has incredible potential. Their facilities and goals aligned with my capabilities and goals, and it definitely was the best fit.
Could you name other college players to watch out for in upcoming seasons? Apart from Alafia Ayeni (laugh).
There are a couple of my teammates that I’d like to call out – Charlelie Cosnet, Taha Baadi and Josh Lapadat – they are all incredibly talented and will be great in the coming months. As for other institutions, there are a few kids that will definitely succeed in college – Jonah Braswell, Ethan Quinn, Andres Martin, and Nishesh Basavareddy. They’re all primed for a very good career.
I saw that you played wearing glasses for most of your life. What was the main reason for that? Why do you play without them now?
I can’t see well (laugh). My eyes are sensitive, but I needed to switch to contacts to improve my peripheral vision.
Could you say something more about your team3x project, your plans and dreams related to it?
Team3x is a project of mine, a non-profit that aims to increase diversity in the sport of tennis. With the rise of young black American stars like Ben Shelton, coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe, I believe the time is ripe to bring tennis to people of color on a larger scale. I want to create opportunities for people of color to view tennis as a viable sport and a possible way to success or even a free college education. We will sell clothing and use our profits to give grants and buy equipment for a team of young black players to travel and play.
My dream is for team3x to get a partnership with a brand like Nike or adidas and hopefully promote inclusion of all kinds in the sport, not only for black people.
You probably prefer playing on hard courts, whereas in Poland we have a lot of tournaments played on clay, but nevertheless we would like to invite you to our country!
Thanks! I hope to play one of the challengers there next year.
The interviev was conducted by Szymon Przybysz.
Wywiad w języku polskim: TUTAJ
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