24 September 2010 | Tennis Victoria

As the highest ranked junior in Victoria for his birth year, Alexander Babanine (Tyabb) wants to one day join the professional tour like his favourite players, Lleyton Hewitt, Fernando Verdasco and Novak Djokovic.

 Alex’s tennis journey began at four years of age after his mum enrolled him in peeWee tennis.

“His mother saw him serve a ball that went smashing through a window, and he hit it so cleanly and crisply that she thought he might actually be a good tennis player,” said Peter Babanine, Alex’s father.

Alex tried many sports as a young boy, including basketball, football and karate, and as his ability to commit to sport became harder, his love for tennis took over.

“I was a pretty keen footballer when I was younger,” said Alex. “My mum wasn’t too keen on me getting battered up so she took me out of football. So far it’s been a good decision on her behalf and my behalf.”

Alex loves tennis because of the heat of the battle and the chance to go head-to-head with other great players.

Alex is a member of the State Academy Victoria where he trains twice a week. He also trains with his private coach, Marcus Petrou, at Mentone Grammar.

Alex has had some impressive results in 2010, winning his way through qualifying to reach his first seniors main draw at the Pro Tour event in Ipswich in April. This result is very impressive given he was in Queensland for the 2010 Optus 16/u National Claycourt Championships and was a late entrant into qualifying for the Pro Tour event.

“It turned out to be a pretty big couple of days for me. It was good to be playing for a world ranking in the big time,” said Babanine.

He was also recently selected for a Tennis Australia tour to Fiji where he made the quarterfinals of the Oceania Closed Junior Championships.

Alex describes himself as an aggressive baseliner whose favourite shot is a drop shot from the back of the court. He hopes his hard work and dedication will one day be rewarded by joining the professional tour.