Whether it’s fighting through some physical pain or working for the same company for the last three decades, former South Carolina tennis standout Tom Eklund (2002-2006) has shown that hard work and dedication will pay off. Now the Treasurer for First Citizens Bank in Raleigh, North Carolina, Eklund is thankful for his experiences on and off the court while at South Carolina to get to where he is now.
“It’s been an interesting journey. When I first started, we were an eight- or nine-billion-dollar bank in Columbia, South Carolina, and now we’re now one of the 15 largest in the country,” said Eklund. “If there is one thing that athletics teaches you, it is that if you work hard, it typically works out, and that played out here.”
A native of Hollviken, Sweden, a couple of his coaches back home had played at South Carolina previously, and that led him to the Gamecocks.
“I knew a couple of guys on the team, and I knew the coach,” Eklund said. “Moving across the ocean was obviously a big decision, and that helped alleviate some of the concerns.”
While at South Carolina, Eklund worked his way up the lineup in his first two years, and he played in the No. 1 singles spot in his final two seasons with the Gamecocks, while also playing No. 1 doubles as a senior. He helped South Carolina reach the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons under former head coach Kent DeMars.
Eklund earned First team All-SEC honors as a junior and helped the Gamecocks reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament that year. In April of that season, Eklund defeated Georgia’s John Isner, who was ranked No. 13 in the country and would later become one of the top 10 players in the world as a professional, to help the Gamecocks upend the eighth-ranked Bulldogs 4-3.
“I don’t know if he was the highest ranked player I beat, but we beat a couple of really good teams that year,” Eklund said. “We had a really good team my junior year. Overall, my best memories are just hanging out with the guys on the team. I enjoyed playing tennis.”
As a senior in 2006, Eklund was recognized as South Carolina’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, received the H. Boyd McWhorter post-graduate scholarship, and the Athletics Department’s Inspiration Award. Eklund played with a severe back injury that left him in constant pain.
“It’s a stress fracture in my lower back. It’s something I’ve had since I was a little kid,” Eklund said. “I dealt with back pain a good…