| Alex Kim |
Birthdate: Dec. 20, 1978
Hometown: Potomac, Md.
Status: Senior - Stanford University (turned pro in 2000)
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Height: 5' 9"
Weight:160
Plays: Right-handed
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 | | | Photo courtesy of Stanford University | |
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NCAA Highlights:
- Won the singles title at the 2001 Rolex National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, one leg of the college Grand Slam
- Won final round doubles match (with partner Keiko Tokuda) at the 2000 Wingspan.com/WTT National Collegiate Championships
- 1999-2000 NCAA Singles Champion (Stanford won the NCAA Team Championship)
- Finished the '99-2000 season with a 48-7 record in singles
- Singles champion at the 2000 ITA Regionals in Seattle
- Doubles champion (with partner Geoff Abrams) at the 2000 ITA All-American Championships
- Doubles champion (with partner Geoff Abrams) at the 2000 National Collegiate Tennis Classic
- Helped lead the U.S. to the finals of the Windmill Cup at Wimbledon
Pro Highlights:
- Played Andre Agassi in the first round of the 2000 U.S. Open, losing 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
- Reached the semifinals of the 2000 Winnetka, Illinois Challenger
Interesting Fact:
- Alex was a National Merit Commended Scholar and a Columbia University Book Award winner in high school. He will receive his degree in Economics from Stanford this year.
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SportsLine.com recently spoke with Alex. Here is what he had to say:
SportsLine: When did you realize that you were good enough to make tennis your career?
Alex Kim: Only in the past few years. When I started winning 16's tournaments, the goal was to use tennis to get into a good school.
SportsLine: What is the strongest part of your game right now?
Alex Kim: I am able to run down balls and get good shots off my forehand.
SportsLine: What part of your game needs the most work?
Alex Kim: My serve, for sure.
SportsLine: What is your favorite thing about being on the court?
Alex Kim: I love competing, being out there and fighting for each point.
SportsLine: What do you like least?
Alex Kim: It can get lonely traveling by yourself.
SportsLine: Who has been your favorite player to watch?
Alex Kim: Andre Agassi. He was doing the same things I was (at the 2000 U.S. Open), just twice as well. I was surprised how hard he hit the ball.
SportsLine: Do you ever get discouraged with your game?
Alex Kim: Yes, in the pros you lose more. In college you can go 40-8, but in the pros if you go 10-10 you're on a pretty good streak.
SportsLine: How do you turn that around?
Alex Kim: If you have a bad day you just have to accept it and move on.
SportsLine: Have you ever been intimidated by an opponent?
Alex Kim: If you ever get intimidated there's no reason to step on the court. I just worry about what I'm doing. Even when I played Agassi I wasn't intimidated, just overwhelmed.
SportsLine: What would you like to be remembered as?
Alex Kim: As a guy who lived a normal life. I went to public high school, not an academy and I'm going to graduate college.
SportsLine: In one word, what does it take to win?
Alex Kim: Focus.
SportsLine: Do you feel like you sacrificed any part of your childhood because of the demands of tennis?
Alex Kim: I learned to manage my time better than most kids because I had to. There are a lot of extra hours in the day. While most kids were watching TV, I was on the court. I may have missed a few parties while I was traveling. It was always important to me to be able to balance my time training with academics and still be a normal kid.
SportsLine: What would you like to pursue after you retire?
Alex Kim: I would like to run my own business. I'm not sure what kind yet, though. Maybe I will go back to school and get my MBA. I definitely want to do something in the business field.
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