ST. LOUIS — Bodin Aleksic has had quite the journey playing tennis at Maryville University.

He’s been a key part of the men’s team since his freshman year. Aleksic will be graduating soon, but he certainly has a lot to be proud of when he looks back on his time playing tennis at Maryville.

“I am mostly proud of my wins and my fighting,” Aleksic said. “I also won some matches while being sick or injured. I just never wanted to give up and that makes me proud.”

Aleksic said that playing tennis has always brought him great joy, and that he’ll miss playing when he graduates, especially moments where he could bond with his teammates. He said his advice to newer players would be to enjoy every match they play and to appreciate the chemistry and camaraderie that comes with being part of a sports team.

“Team chemistry is very important,” he said. “Always be nice and supportive to (your) teammates.”

Aleksic credits his prior teammates for helping guide him through his first few years of tennis and acting as mentors. One teammate in particular he formed a strong bond with was assistant coach and former Maryville tennis star Donovan McKnight.

“Donny was the guy that helped me a lot with school,” Aleksic said. “We had the same major and he was very good at it. He was always willing to help me or advise me which I greatly appreciated. He was also an important member of our tennis team.”

Aleksic also said that his coaches contributed to the positive vibe and bond that the team had, while also keeping them on their toes and preparing them for any potential challenge.

“They were very nice to us, sometimes maybe even too nice,” Aleksic joked. “We would always try to practice like we are actually playing a game. Visualization was our way of preparing for our upcoming challenges.”

Of course, being an athlete at any level, high school, college or professional, comes with a ton of adversity. But Aleksic says staying positive is the key to overcoming it.

“I always try to have positive thoughts in my head,” he said. “After the match, if I know that I gave my absolute best, then I am happy no matter the result. I always try to do everything in order to win and fight until the last point.”

One such challenge Aleksic faced was when his shoes broke in the middle of a match. But as expected, he never gave in and kept on fighting.

“After my shoes, my socks also ripped and my toes started bleeding,” Aleksic recalled. “It was quite painful, but I tried not to think about it and focus on winning the match. I found a way to run that made my toes hurt less and I won the match. I did not want to give up.”

He says the same attitude he had in that moment applies to any other time an athlete faces a high-pressure situation and needs to block out any sort of distractions.

“I just believe in my shots,” he said. “I tell myself that good players would stay calm and play their best when needed the most. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not, because your opponent also believes in himself.”

Despite his upcoming graduation, Aleksic says he’s not done with tennis. He says he wants to continue after college and find ways to put his knowledge of the sport to good use.

“I have dedicated all my life to this sport and would love to share my knowledge with younger generations by pursuing a coaching career,” he said.

In doing so, he would follow in McKnight’s footsteps. With such knowledge and skill, Aleksic is sure to provide valuable insight and help the next generation of tennis players grow into the best possible players they can be.

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