USU’s Swedish Tennis trio
Jonas Tyden had never been to America before arriving in the Salt Lake City International Airport in the fall of 2004.
Alone, without housing and overwhelmed by a culture and society that seemed as foreign as fried Twinkies, he began his collegiate tennis career at USU.
“I didn’t know where I was going,” Tyden said, recalling his infancy on American soil. “When I got here I didn’t know anybody. I was completely lost.”
Tyden managed to bunk up with a friend for his first few days in Logan before finding his own place. But no matter how much he decorated or daydreamed, he said his bedroom, apartment and new home town were nothing like back in Stockholm, Sweden.
In more ways than one, home was thousands of miles away.
So why USU of all places in the world?
“My coach back in Sweden played in this region,” Tyden said. “He played against the Aggies many times as a player and a coach. He told me about Logan and Cache Valley and encouraged me to come here.”
Tyden said he locked up an athletic scholarship as his prep school days came to an end. It wasn’t long after that when he arrived on the USU campus.
Tyden’s early career as an Aggie wasn’t exactly monumental. As a freshman and sophomore, he faced seasoned opponents, some of which were ranked at the top of the region.
Despite the odds, Tyden said he was able to notch wins and contribute to the team’s success in both singles and doubles.
Now in his senior year, Tyden has won numerous matches for the Aggies, picking up team and WAC honors on the way. But he’s done more for the program than just play good tennis. He’s been a busy recruiter.
Tyden is one of three members of the Aggie men’s tennis team from Sweden. The others are sophomore Oscar Ericsson and freshman Jakob Asplund.
All three call Stockholm their hometown, all three started playing tennis when they were 7, and all three are starters on the team’s lineup.
“I was looking for colleges, but I didn’t really know where to look,” Ericsson said. “I knew Jonas and he kind of helped me out.”
Ericsson arrived at the beginning of the 2006 season and played at the No. 1 spot for the Aggies during his freshman year. Ericsson then paid it forward by recruiting a Swede of his own, Asplund.
The two had played together at the same tennis club in Stockholm.
In Sweden, there are no high school or college sports, Ericcson said. Kids young and old who are serious about tennis have to try out at extremely competitive sporting clubs. Ericsson and Asplund happened to play together at Bromma Gymnasium in Stockholm. When Asplund started looking for a college team to play for, his old friend Ericsson was there to give him direction.
“I knew Oscar, so that’s how I found out about Utah State,” Asplund said. “But (Jonas) had it harder than we did. We had lots of help once we got here.”
Although the team is struggling to find its footing after starting 2-7, the Swedish trio continue to succeed in both singles and doubles play.
But their opponents are not always their biggest challenge, according to the three. Opponents can sometimes be secondary trials to living 5,000 miles away from home, missing out on mom’s home cooking and adjusting to an American culture.
“America’s different than what I thought it would be,” Tyden said, “except for some things. We would watch those high school movies like American Pie with the jocks and their letterman’s jackets. That’s actually real.”
All three agreed the culture emphasis in the United States on athletics was something they weren’t accustomed to, noting Aggie basketball games attract more spectators than the most popular professional hockey team in Sweden-the country’s most popular sport.
“The people in Sweden just have a different mentality,” Ericsson said.
But they said some of the changes that come with their relocation to America are welcome ones, particularly when it comes down to the way tennis programs are run.
“Playing for a team is something that I really enjoy,” Tyden said. “In junior’s tennis in Sweden, you only play for yourself. Here you play for a team, and you’re part of something more.”
Asplund said, “With our scholarships, school is practically free. Just the opportunity to come out here, play tennis and get an education, it’s a great experience.”
Ericsson noted that traveling and seeing the country has been an especially rewarding experience.
“I love to see all the beautiful places in America,” he said. “From Las Vegas to Pocatello, it’s nice to see the diversity in the country.”
Tyden will be graduating in December with a degree in public relations, Ericsson is an economics major and Asplund is an undeclared business major. The three said they plan to use their degrees to get jobs in varying fields back in Sweden.
Because so much of their time is soaked up by the sponge that is Aggie tennis, it leaves little time for leisurely activities or studying. But if they have a free evening, they said they like eating at their favorite place in town: Costa Vida.
“In Sweden we never just go out to eat because it’s so expensive,” Tyden said. “And even if you do go out, they don’t have Mexican food. That’s why I love the sweet pork burritos so much.”
Despite all the challenges and differences they’ve had to overcome, these cheery Swedes continue to contribute not only to the university’s cultural diversity, but to a tennis team that just simply wouldn’t be the same without them. And lucky for USU, their recruiting efforts are far from finished.
“We’re working on it,” Tyden said. “We’re going to get some our friends from Stockholm to take our place when we’ve gone.”
To see the three Swedes and the rest of the men’s tennis team in action, go as they face off against the University of Nevada-Reno Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Sports Academy Racquet Club. Admission is free.
-jackson.olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu