EDWARDSVILLE - Erik Weiler is becoming a household name in tennis in the Edwardsville area and it appears that status will continue to rise in coming months.
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Weiler, who will only be a junior, was a state tennis qualifier last year, and a top Edwardsville High School player in singles. He has had an excellent summer and is blossoming in to one of Edwardsville’s most promising futures for college tennis and beyond.
Erik obtained his love of tennis from his father at a young age and seems to almost been born with a racquet in his hand. His long locks of hair, headband and height make him a force to be watched on the court.
Edwardsville Coach Dave Lipe said Erik Weiler had a great year this past year and was a state qualifier. He finished with a 19-14 record. The coach said Weiler has considerable potential for the future. Presently, Weiler is rated in the top 20 of Illinois tennis recruits going into his junior year.
“Erik’s greatest attribute is his passion for tennis,” Lipe said. “Erik loves music and tennis. Tennis is No. 1 with Erik and that is at the heart of his success. I think that attribute will help him extend his playing to college and beyond.
“Erik’s serve comes naturally. Several coaches have taken notice of his improvement over the year. He will be a major impact player. The best for him is yet to come.”
Erik said tennis has always been his favorite sport.
“I hope to play Division I or Division II tennis after high school,” he said. “Over the summer, I have worked on my strength, my core and even doing some biking. I think my serves are getting a lot better. I have worked on my serves a lot over the last six months.”
While presently 6-foot-2, Erik hopes to grow to 6-4 before he finishes. His goal for next year is to advance higher in the state rounds in the singles competition and hopefully place in the tourney by his senior year.
Weiler said his coach, Dave Lipe, has inspired him on and off the court to achieve bigger and better things.
Erik said one thing he believes separates him from other tennis players is that he tries for every ball and never takes a break on the court.
“I never give up,” he said of how he approaches each match. “I love tennis. I see a lot of kids get behind and give up, but I never do.”
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