Nelson picked up the game during the summer of 2020, looking for a safe, outdoor activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his wife Karley, who gave birth to the couple's fourth child on Tuesday, started playing two to three times a week at a local club, doing everything from singles, doubles and drills.
The Warroad, MN, native picked it up quickly, winning his club's men's doubles championship - with former St. Cloud State defenseman Andrew Prochno - in the first year that he started seriously playing the game. This year he and Prochno were bounced in the semis.
Nelson prefers singles to doubles, just for the competitive aspect of it. He likes the individual challenge of a one-versus-one showdown, though there's an enjoyable, perhaps more relaxed element to a doubles match.
Tennis isn't just a hobby for Nelson, but a fun way to stay in shape during the offseason.
"I think it's one of the best workouts you could do for agility, cardio and stamina," Nelson said. "It's just a changeup and tennis translates pretty well too [to hockey]. You're subconsciously doing crossovers, shuffles, getting all the reactionary stuff, quick movements by nature and instincts of the game versus having somebody give you a pattern."
Nelson isn't the only Islander who takes to the clay during the summer. Zach Parise is another avid tennis player, who likes the game for similar reasons to Nelson, who prefers the explosive bursts of tennis rather just running. The two of them play with and against each other in the summer. Parise, who took up the game as a kid, has a 5-0 singles record lifetime against Nelson, though he said their matches usually go the distance over three sets.
"I'm more of a defensive player, he gets too anxious, and he tries to go for the winners," Parise said of Nelson. "Too many unforced errors, but if he gets his serve dialed in, then he's really tough to play against."
