Constructing Alexander Blockx: #NextGenATP Belgian’s childhood spark fueled ‘unbelievable ardour’ | ATP Tour

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Constructing Blockx: #NextGenATP Belgian’s childhood spark fueled ‘unbelievable ardour’

Perception from the 19-year-old and his longtime coach

September 18, 2024

‘Does this little man additionally wish to attempt a ball?’

That was the query that began all of it for Alexander Blockx, who started enjoying tennis at age 4. Blockx’s brother Maxime, three years his senior, was taking tennis classes and whereas Alexander was watching courtside, coach Philippe Cassiers uttered the phrase that kickstarted the Belgian’s journey within the sport.

To today, Blockx is coached by Cassiers, a 15-year partnership that has featured nice success. Blockx grew to become the junior No. 1 in singles and doubles in 2023, the identical yr he received the Australian Open boys’ singles occasion.

Competing totally on the ATP Challenger Tour this season, the 19-year-old resides out his dream as an expert tennis participant, a pinch-me second for somebody whose begin in tennis was practically unintentional.

“It wasn’t deliberate for me, I used to be simply going with to see [my brother] a bit,” Blockx recalled to ATPTour.com. “Finally once we obtained there, the coach requested my mother and father, ‘Does this little man additionally wish to attempt a ball?’ I mentioned, ‘Sure’, and I began enjoying and by no means stopped.”

Cassiers, who runs a tennis academy exterior of Antwerp, immediately seen Blockx’s pure capability.

“There was slightly boy sitting on the bench subsequent to mommy and daddy — and that was Alexander,” Cassiers mentioned. “I requested, ‘Do you wish to attempt?’ He stood up and was like, ‘Let’s do it’. We threw him a pair balls and you might inform he was actually motivated, able to play straight away. He wasn’t scared. He was able to go for it and it was actually enjoyable. I talked to his mother and father, ‘Possibly we must always attempt coaching for the infant as effectively’. Now we have been working ever since.”

Blockx isn’t the primary skilled athlete in his household. His father Oleg was a observe athlete, excelling in hurdle races whereas Blockx’s mom Natalia was an expert swimmer.

The #NextGenATP teen has by no means performed any sport in addition to tennis. As a toddler, he was too busy dominating tennis tournaments, even above his age group.

“You could have huge goals, however after I realised I used to be good on the sport was after I was enjoying with guys older than me, two or three years older than me. As a result of in opposition to my age and a yr older, I barely misplaced a sport each time we performed till the age of 14,” mentioned Blockx, who’s twenty fourth within the PIF ATP Dwell Race To Jeddah.

“First, I performed the Belgian tournaments. I used to be successful virtually all the things after which my coach mentioned, ‘Okay, now we’re going to play a better age group’. I began successful all the things so we began enjoying worldwide to see how that goes. In beneath 12s, I performed 45 matches and received 42 I feel. So then we have been like, ‘Okay, there’s actual potential’. On the age of 12, I realised I wish to go all in and it’d really work out.”

Presently No. 264 within the PIF ATP Rankings, Blockx has gained extra consideration for the reason that begin of 2023, when he grew to become Belgium’s third junior Slam champion and first at Melbourne Park. Jacques Brichant (1947) and Kimmer Coppejans (2012) triumphed at Roland Garros.

Alexander Blockx wins the 2023 Australian Open junior title.”>
^{Alexander Blockx wins the 2023 Australian Open junior title. Credit score: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP by way of Getty Pictures}
“It was wonderful. Additionally due to the best way I received it, 11/9 third-set tie-breaker [in the final],” Blockx mentioned. “The entire week I performed some good gamers: [Joao] Fonseca, in opposition to Learner [Tien] within the ultimate.”

Blockx this yr has made three semi-final appearances on the ATP Challenger Tour, with two of these runs coming previous to a two-month damage layoff in the course of the season. Blockx was enjoying his second match in what was alleged to be a five-week Asian swing in April when he tore a ligament in his proper ankle, sidelining him till mid-July.

Now again at full well being, Blockx confirmed flashes of his finest stage final week when he made his Davis Cup debut, which he labelled as, “probably the greatest experiences of my life to date on a tennis courtroom”. Blockx represented his residence nation in opposition to Italy and pushed former World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini to 3 units.

One key factor in Blockx’s breakthrough, based on Cassiers, has been his cost’s real love for the game.

“He has a ardour for tennis that’s actually unbelievable,” Cassiers mentioned. “It is changing into extra of an obsession in the mean time. He’s actually, actually into the sport. I see many gamers over the past years, and I’ve by no means seen a participant this passionate and obsessive about the sport and [with] the desire to enhance.

“Off the courtroom, he’s following web sites, Challenger TV, YouTube and all these items. You may ask him very exhausting questions, ‘In 2020, who performed the quarter-finals of Madrid?’ Or no matter, he’s going to have the ability to provide you with a solution with the scores. Off the courtroom, he’s nonetheless busy with tennis issues.”