Game, Set, Chat: An Exclusive Interview with Ollie Alexenicer

Ollie Alexenicer is one of Leeds’s finest Jewish athletes. The tennis ace has been on an incredible rise over the last year, progressing from Leeds Beckett’s 7th team to playing for the 4th team since the start of this academic year, quickly transferring from the 5s.

Alexenicer has been playing tennis since he was 10 years old, having originally taken up an interest in the sport from watching it on TV with his dad, before picking up a racket himself. He is no stranger to competition, having played in last summer’s Maccabiah Games in Israel, facing an incredible amount of pressure.

He has had to grow used to an intense schedule during the week, training every day and playing every Wednesday home and away for Beckett, winning his first away match last week in Northumbria.

When asked about representing the Jewish community on the court, Ollie mentioned that he wears a Magen David necklace during matches, and has never lost a game whilst wearing it!

Ollie’s involvement in student sport has also allowed him to get more involved with Jewish life in Leeds generally, and aspires to keep involved this year, to win as many matches as possible and to progress up Beckett’s ranks.