It wasn’t difficult to spot 16-year-old Alexander Collins Saturday afternoon at the State Games of Mississippi’s junior tennis competition.

With a pink shirt and pink socks, Collins played as the No. 1 seed in the boys 18 division with style.

“I like flamboyant colors, something to catch the eye,” Collins said with a chuckle.

But no one will mistake Collins for a look-at-me tennis player once they see him play, Northwood Country Club Tennis Professional Anthony Hiatt said.

“He’s a good-character, class act on the court,” Hiatt explained. “He’s a nice guy.”

And he’s not bad at tennis, either. The Union resident and Neshoba Central student has been playing since he was 12, and though Collins primarily takes lessons from Blake Helginkamp at Castlewoods Country Club in Brandon, Hiatt has worked with Collins from time to time.

“He has good form, and he’s more experienced than a lot of players,” Hiatt explained. “He’s been playing tournaments longer (than most), and the fundamentals are all there. He has all the shots.”

Collins got into tennis after watching his older sisters, Muriel and Katie Anne, play, and he initially saw it as an opportunity to quickly get onto the court at a smaller school back when he attended Union High School.

“At Union, I wanted to play everything, and it’s easier to make varsity at a smaller school,” Collins said. 

Following his freshman year at Union, Collins transferred to Neshoba Central, where he also plays soccer. Now that he’s been playing for four years, Collins said he’s grown to enjoy tennis as something beyond just an easy shot at varsity.

“It’s unique, in that it’s one of the few sports where you’re one on one,” Collins said. “You have to talk yourself through it mentally, and I’ve always enjoyed that aspect.”

After taking lessons from Helginkamp, Collins said he’s watched his game improve exponentially since he first got into the sport.

“We’ll do match play, and in between he’ll pick apart my game,” Collins said. “He’s more on the talkative side, but I like it, because he’s someone who will tell me what I’m doing wrong and nitpick my game.”

After State Games, Collins said he will compete in several more USTA tournaments this summer in hopes of upping his point total. While it would be nice to ultimately earn a tennis scholarship, Collins said it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he didn’t.

“It depends on if the opportunity presents itself,” Collins said. “Right now, (tennis is) more of something to keep me fit mentally and physically. If the right program offered, I’d do it, but it’s not No. 1 on my list.”