International stage for Purdue’s Krivokapic

Purdue men’s tennis star Aleksa Krivokapic competes in China for his native Montenegro

The tears welled up as the music played. Aleksa Krivokapic couldn’t hold back as the national anthem of Montenegro — his national anthem — played during the Davis Cup in January.

“It was special,” he says. “It made me feel proud.”

Krivokapic takes a deep sigh and looks at the ceiling as he gathers his thoughts about one of the most significant events of his life.

Who can blame him for getting emotional?

Krivokapic grew up in Montenegro, swatting tennis balls against anything, dreaming of being paid to play tennis one day. With each batted ball, a young, scrawny Krivokapic got better. And better. Good enough to the point where the notion of one day being a pro didn’t seem out of reach. The dream could be reality … maybe.

Playing in the Davis Cup gave him a taste of facing off vs. pros. For now, Krivokapic polishes his trade at Purdue.

“I ended up deciding to play college tennis instead of going pro,” he says. “We didn’t have the finances to go pro.”

After winning the Big Ten Individual Championship in November, he has earned his keep as Purdue’s No. 1 singles player, forging a 4-3 record thus far. But his junket to China to represent his homeland in the Davis Cup still resonates.

What a thrill.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “To be there and to compete. It was an experience I never will forget.”

While in China, Krivokapic got to play against top competition, as Krivokapic took part in singles and doubles.

Montenegro came up short and failed to advance. But that wasn’t the point. The big takeaway was the opportunity to play on that stage against that level of competition. It’s about getting better.

“It was tough,” he says.

Krivokapic shrugs his narrow shoulders and leans against a wall inside Purdue’s Schwartz Tennis Center. Fellow tennis players whirl by to workouts on a frigid February morning in West Lafayette.

“We battled hard, and I got confidence playing against some good players, enough confidence to believe I could one day play professionally,” he says.

The pros can wait. Krivokapic still has runway ahead of him at Purdue. He is just a junior, still authoring his story in West Lafayette. How will it end?

“I am enjoying my time here,” he says.

It’s a long way from mid-north Indiana to Krivokapic’s home in Podgorica, Montenegro, the nation’s capital and largest city that teems with over 100,000.

Across the ocean, Krivokapic’s father is a television producer, while his mother is a lawyer for a bank. Young Krivokapic was a thin whip-of-a-kid living in a nation that adores soccer, water polo, handball, tennis and basketball. Oh, how it loves basketball.

Krivokapic was splitting his time between tennis and basketball when, as a 10-year-old, his father sat him down for a talk. It was time to choose a sport and path: What’s it gonna be, Aleksa? Basketball? Tennis?

“My father guided me to continue with tennis,” he said.

But Krivokapic still wonders … what if? What if he had gone with basketball? When the 6-foot-5 Krivokapic closes his eyes, he can envision himself draining 3-pointers, euro-stepping in the lane and finishing with a reverse layup.

“Yes, I do think about that,” Krivokapic says, flashing a toothy grin. “I’m still pretty good when I play.”

What team couldn’t use a 6-5 wing shooter with an impossibly long wingspan?

Exactly.

But, Krivokapic’s hoop dreams have become hardcourt dreams. And he hasn’t looked back.

“I have no regrets,” he says.

It’s a long way from Montenegro, a country in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, to the United States. He misses his family in Montenegro, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Oh, how he misses their embrace.

And when Krivokapic feels especially sentimental, he yearns for some of his grandmother’s cooking. Any go-to dish “Baba” serves is anchored by potatoes and meat.

“Whenever I am home, Baba asks me what I want to eat. ‘What do you want?’ she says. “I love her. She takes good care of me.”

By the looks of Krivokapic, he could use more of Baba’s home-cooking to thicken up his stretched-out carriage.

“Look at me,” he says with a soft Montenegro accent, holding his arms up.

But Krivokapic needs to remain nimble and able to cover the entire court with a game highlighted by a strong serve that caught the attention of talent scouts and recruiters.

“Those are things I do well,” he says. “Those are the strong points for me.”

Those traits have taken Krivokapic a long way. He first touched down in America in Chicago at DePaul, where he spent his 2023 freshman season.

“I didn’t take an official visit,” he says. “So, the first time I ever stepped in America, it was when I got off a plane in Chicago and went to DePaul. There are a lot of distractions in Chicago.”

Krivokapic smiles. It’s something he does often.

“He’s a very nice guy,” says Purdue tennis coach Geoff Young. “He’s got a good sense of humor, and I think he’s fun to have on the team. He brings a lot of life to the locker room; he’s funny, and he really wants to be a good tennis player.

“He’s been very open to learning and trying some new things, and it’s really helped him improve, even in the short time he’s been here at Purdue.”

But his growth hasn’t just been individual – his impact on the team has been just as important. “Aleksa is a kind of teammate who you can always count on,” says teammate and freshman rising star Maj Premzl. “He leads by example with his work ethic end competitiveness and pushes everyone to be better. Off the court he is supportive and brings great energy making sure we stay motivated and stay connected as a team.”

After a year with the Blue Demons that saw Krivokapic earn Big East Freshman of the Year honors after going 10-4 in singles play and 4-0 in Big East action, he entered the transfer portal and moved on to Purdue, where he has been the last two years.

“I was looking to develop my game and play at a higher level,” he says. “Purdue has been a good choice for me. I like it here.”

Krivokapic’s game is highlighted by his aggressive style, which often involves him attacking and being the aggressor at the net.

“He’s got a very good serve, and he’s very tall, and he has good touch, good feel for the ball,” Young says. “He’s pretty good on the volley, but really good at the net. He’s good on ground strokes, as well.

“But I think he’s learning that to maximize this game, he has to move forward as much as possible and finish the points at the net.”

Krivokapic’s Purdue debut last year was muted by an abdominal injury that limited him, but he still managed to notch seven wins across the fall and spring seasons before succumbing.

“That was tough,” says Krivokapic, pointing to his midsection. “But I am OK now.”

Is he ever. Krivokapic is the anchor of a surging Boilermaker men’s tennis program that will get tested when it treks to southern California this weekend to take on USC and UCLA in the Big Ten opener.

Krivokapic folds his arms, nodding hello to a passerby as he gathers his thoughts.

“The Davis Cup was an amazing experience,” he says. “It is a very prestigious event. It’s like the World Cup for soccer. To get a chance to compete in it was special. We didn’t do well as a nation but battled and played hard.”

Back home in Montenegro, Krivokapic’s family watched on TV. Even Baba.

“Pretty neat,” he says.

“When they raised our flag and played the anthem, it made me so proud of my country and where I am from. It was such an honor to be on that stage and to play and compete on that level. I’ll never forget it.”

Written by Tom Dienhart