Gunnar Adalberth played tennis at Union from 1983-87. He was the team’s No. 1 player throughout his four years.
Adalberth helped his teams earn numerous trips to the NAIA District and National Tournaments. In his first two years, he led his teams to 19-7 records, which were program bests at the time.
Adalberth set the career record at the time with 71 wins and also set the school record at that time with 21 wins in the 1986-87 season. He was ranked No. 40 nationally and posted a victory over the No. 3 ranked player that season. He was a two-time NAIA Academic All-American and was selected as the Union Male Athlete of the year in 1987.
Off the court, Adalberth was named the outstanding graduate of the Class of 1987, earning the Highest Academic Achievement Award for highest GPA and the school’s prestigious Tigrett Medal at graduation. He also earned the Fred DeLay Award given to the athlete with the highest academic merit.
After graduating from Union, Adalberth earned an MBA in International Marketing in 1990 from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Business. He was top-25 percent of his class.
Adalberth worked for United Parcel Service (UPS) for 33 years until 2023. He relocated 11 times to six different countries (US, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, UK, and UAE). His role with UPS as Director of Business Development has allowed him to partner with the 2012 London Olympics and the 2020 Dubai Expo.
Adalberth continues to play tennis with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Masters Tour. He currently coaches Elias Ymer, the best Swedish tennis player, currently ranked No. 173 in he ATP global ranking.
Adalberth and is wife Simona currently live in Stockholm, Sweden. They have one daughter, Adriane. He became a Christian at Union in November 1983. He has been faithful to the church wherever his travels have taken him, and he tries to spread the Gospel to anyone, including professional tennis players.
