BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Senior Alex Matisse took his fourth and final trip to state finals last week leaving a mark on Clarkston Boys Varsity Tennis for years to come.
“Alex is undisputed the greatest player in Clarkston history,” said Chas Claus, head coach and former player for the Wolves.
“One of Alex’s greatest attribute is he has really grown in his ability to stay in the moment in the sense of when a bad play happens against him, Alex is great at being able to applaud the other player and to say nice shot, reset and then work for the next point,” he added. “He doesn’t let adversity bother him. He doesn’t dwell on his own mistakes. He is immediately ready to fight. He doesn’t give points away.”
Claus noted Matisse is also a great leader.
“Alex has always made the players around him better,” he said. “He has a great connection with his team and he is one of them. It’s not just that guy who is really good and is at our practices. He put together off season workouts and captains’ practices. He is also a very bright guy. He is one of the few in his class in terms of GPA. He is the kind of guy you want your son to grow up to be like. He is a good athlete and a good student.”
Matisse has gone to the state finals three times with his team and once after qualifying as an individual in his sophomore year.

“A lot of my success is to Claus,” Matisse said. “He has been one of the biggest proponents of this team. I credit a lot of my success to him and a lot of the team’s success to him.”
He added through playing tennis with Clarkston he has learned how to be a better person because of Claus.
“Having a team to rely on, having people to cheer on and people to cheer me on – it’s a big self-confidence booster,” Matisse said. “It made me realize I really like doing this and I love being around people.”
He plays year-round in the junior circuit in the United States Tennis Association which he said has helped him a lot with tennis and learning how to handle balancing school and tennis.
Matisse began playing tennis when he was four-years-old. His mom played tennis at Deer Lake Athletic Club and they had free daycare for tennis players.
“Her coach decided to get me out on the court,” said Matisse.
From there he was hooked and kept with tennis because he found he enjoyed a lot of aspects of the sport.
“I like the fact it is all about solving problems as you play,” he shared. “There is no time limit, there is no playing against the clock. It’s just you figuring out how to play your opponent and how to play the tennis ball.”
He balances playing tennis and school by looking at the stress of his schedule as more of a challenge to conquer instead of something halting his progress.
“It’s a lot of time management and knowing school comes first,” Matisse said. “I need to get my school work done in order to play tennis which is something I love to do. I set priorities and do my tasks as I need to do them.”
He is currently in three Advanced Placement classes – Government, Statistics and Literature. He is also in Anatomy, Leadership and Independent Study.
“I am learning about medical psychology and the interactions between patients and doctors and how important it is,” he explained about his independent study.
He plans to study medicine and as of now would like to be an anesthesiologist. He is looking to attend John Hopkins University and also play tennis there as well.
Matisse felt a draw to the university for many reasons including their academics, reputation in the medical field, and their high level tennis team.
“When I visited it felt like Clarkston again with the way their coach talked to them, and how they talk to each other,” he said. “I felt right at home.”
When Matisse isn’t playing tennis or studying he enjoys spending time with friends playing video games, pool, ping pong, and air hockey.
His advice to aspiring athletes are words he shares with his teammates.
“No matter what you do, do it with pride and ambition,” he said.
His parents are Marion and Carl.

  AOW, clarkston, Tennis