The N.C. State men’s tennis team was tied in its Jan. 21 home-opener with then-No. 22 Indiana with one individual match remaining. Playing for State was freshman Simon Norenius, appearing in just his second team match for the Wolfpack.
“It was three-all, and I had to win that last match,” Norenius said. “But I’ve played tennis my whole life, so it wasn’t too bad.”
Norenius performed like a seasoned veteran. With his teammates watching, the native Swede made quick work of his opponent, 6-2, 6-1, giving the Pack its second victory of the season.
Norenius is 5-3 in singles matches this season. He has played every position from No. 3 to No. 6 on head coach Jon Choboy’s ladder.
With tennis enjoying popularity across the globe, international recruiting is a key element to running a successful collegiate program. A Division-I roster often is composed of more foreign players than Americans. The Wolfpack has also attracted freshman Thomas Weigel (Germany), junior Ivan Sanchez Gomez (Spain), and seniors Rafael Paez (Brazil) and Dave Thomson (United Kingdom).
Norenius decided to commit to N.C. State after visiting the campus for the first time. He credits Choboy as one of the main reasons for his decision.
“I had a few options all over the States,” Norenius said. “I was in contact with the coaches here, and I came here for a visit, and everything went just great.”
Norenius began playing tennis with his father at 6 years old and grew up rooting for all-time Grand Slam trophy leader Roger Federer. But he didn’t limit himself as a young athlete. In addition to tennis, he played soccer as well as floorball, a popular sport in Sweden that is similar to hockey.
People often experience growing pains when they enter a new stage of life in an unfamiliar setting. But that hasn’t been the case for Norenius thus far, he said.
“It’s not that hard,” Norenius said. “I’ve been playing tennis my whole life. It’s just another country, and I can go home during the summer and during the winter.”
Norenius has also managed to succeed academically while competing in tennis.
“Before I came here, I thought that might be a problem,” Norenius said. “But when I got here, I ended up getting only one ‘B’ in all my classes and a 3.6 [GPA], so I don’t find it hard at all.”
On the court, Norenius feeds off the energy his teammates give him as they watch him play. He describes encouragement from teammates as a way to keep loose and prevent the pressure from getting to him. And when he’s a spectator, he has his teammates’ backs as well.
“We have really good team chemistry, and we pump each other up all the time.” Norenius said. “We try to relax and have fun when we’re playing.”
Norenius and the rest of the Wolfpack have a long time to prepare for their next match, a road date with in-state rival North Carolina on Friday, March 15. It will be the ACC opener for both teams.
