February 26, 2020. Tennis Acumen is at the Challenger tournament in Columbus, Ohio. Here's part of an exclusive interview with Alexander Cozbinov.
Tennis Acumen: We are meeting with Alexander Cozbinov, a tennis player from Moldova. and part of the reason we're fascinated with you, Alex is the transfer from Europe to the United States and your career playing at the college level. Tell us, first off, how did you get started playing tennis?
Alexander Cozbinov: Well my dad was playing, as an amateur. He liked to play some amateur tournaments, so every time he played, he took me with him, and I just kind of picked it up on my own. I start hitting against the wall. He watched me, and he decided to start coaching me. He was my coach from the very beginning.
Tennis Acumen: So, when did you first pick up a racket?
Alexander Cozbinov: When I was six years old. That's when I started playing.
Tennis Acumen: Right. A lot of guys start that young. Was there a tennis scene? Was there support for the game of tennis in Moldova.
Alexander Cozbinov: Not really. There's not as many opportunities in Moldova. For example, we have maybe five or six indoor courts in the whole country. In the summer, it’s OK. In the winter, it is very difficult to find time on the court. Sometimes we had 10 or 15 kids on one court. So, it was very difficult.
Tennis Acumen: In a country with 2.8 million people, that’s hard. And you grew up in the capital city.
Alexander Cozbinov: Yes. We have two clubs there, but you couldn't always get court time.
Tennis Acumen: What did you do when you couldn't get a court?
Alexander Cozbinov: My dad used to be a track and field runner. So, I used to do a lot of fitness. And I'm trying to work on my serve, sometimes just hitting against a wall, stuff like that.
Tennis Acumen: And when did you discover you really loved tennis more than anything else?
Alexander Cozbinov: I guess from my first competition. I played Futures in Romania, Turkey, the Ukraine. I really liked competing and I wanted to play more and more. So, I guess from that point, I knew.
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