Although Oleksandr Nedovyesov is usually soft spoken and humble, you don’t want to get him angry when he is on the tennis court.
His determination and work ethic for the Cowboy tennis team have earned him the title of 2008 O’Collegian Male Athlete of the Year, as voted on at http://ocolly.com.
Coach James Wadley said although Nedovyesov is not the most talkative player, he leads his team by example.
“Oleks is not a vocal guy, but he is probably the hardest worker on our team, and he pays closer attention than anyone on our team,” Wadley said. “So he sets a good example by his work ethic and everyone kind of picks up on that.”
Only a sophomore, Nedovyesov has already begun racking up accomplishments. He is ranked as the No. 5 singles player in the nation, but said he is not satisfied yet.
“I am right now like No. 5 in the country, and it is the highest ranking I have ever been, so we will see,” Nedovyesov said. “My aim is to be No. 1, so I will try my best.”
Wadley said that rankings for tennis can be more significant than other sports, as each individual player falls under a single ranking system.
“There’s 3,500 Division I tennis players, and he’s ranked No. 5 in the country, that’s pretty good,” Wadley said. “It’s not like some other sports where you have 10 divisions.
“There’s just one singles and doubles, and to have the No. 5 singles player in the country and also have him be part of the 13th-ranked doubles team is pretty good.”
Nedovyesov, a native of Alushta, Ukraine, teamed with Nathan Byrnes to form the best doubles team in the Big 12. Nedovyesov and Byrnes finished out the regular season against Oklahoma with an undefeated record in doubles play and earned a Big 12 championship.
Wadley said he is impressed with the poise his sophomore star shows on the tennis court.
“It’s hard for a young guy to play in front of a crowd against a tough opponent, and keep his composure for 2 1⁄2 hours,” Wadley said. “It’s a difficult thing for anyone to do.”
Nedovyesov will lead his 20th-ranked Cowboys into the Big 12 tournament, which begins April 24.
Along with a successful regular season for the Cowboys, Nedovyesov said he is also excited that the OSU tennis team has grown in popularity enough for fans to select him as the Athlete of the Year.
“I’m pretty excited about it, I didn’t think I would win it for sure because tennis is not one of the very popular sports in the U.S.,” Nedovyesov said. “I thought it would be a wrestler or a football [player], but I just want to say thanks to everyone who gave me a vote.”
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