For many college student-athletes across the country, their competitive playing career ends in their 20s; a lucky few extend their careers into their 30s if they are lucky enough to play at the professional level. However, Auburn tennis alumnus Bill Knestrick is continuing to play into his late 50s, even after a 30-year hiatus from the sport.
A national champion in the USTA 55 & Over division who is ranked internationally in doubles, he represented the United States in international competition this summer.
Knestrick was born and raised in Nashville, Tenn., but a university that was about 300 miles south of there checked a box for him both academically and athletically.
"When I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to go somewhere where I could play. And Coach Hugh Thomson showed some interest in me. From a tennis perspective, it was a really great fit for me," said Knestrick recalling his college decision in 1982. "And then from an academic standpoint, I wanted to go into building science. Auburn, Purdue, Florida and Clemson were basically the four schools that had building science programs at the time. I visited those other schools and didn't like them nearly as much as I liked my visit with Auburn and Coach [Hugh] Thomson at the time. It was an easy fit."
On top of the building science program and the opportunity to play tennis at Auburn, Knestrick's mother, Anne Holladay, also had an Auburn connection because she attended the University herself.
It didn't take long for the Nashville native to find success on the court as Knestrick was a part of the Tigers' first-ever SEC championship in 1983 when he sported a 15-3 singles record, which he says is the highlight of his time on the Plains.
After his freshman year, the SEC champion followed up with a strong sophomore year in 1984 when he earned a varsity letterwinner. Knestrick credits a lot of the team's success to Coach Thomson, who taught the team to compete hard.
"He was a coach that demanded success on the court," he said. "And you knew that the first time you met him. He was very competitive. He was a really good tennis player in his own right as well. I think when he coached, he could have played as the three, four or five on our team! He knew how to win and he wanted us to compete hard. That's what I remember about him when I was at Auburn."
After his second season though, Knestrick's college playing career was halted due to a shoulder injury.
"I got injured the summer of my sophomore year, and I had two shoulder operations. I couldn't recover from that and decided to really stick to my studies and other involvement. So I really quit tennis competitively for over 30 years."
Without tennis, Knestrick still had plenty to keep himself busy on the Plains, as he continued to pursue his undergraduate degree in building science, served as the president of the School of Architecture and Fine Arts, was an Auburn Plainsman, and was asked to be in the Auburn Spades Honor Society his senior year. Upon graduation, he hopped right into the construction industry.
"When I left Auburn, I went to go work for a general contractor in Atlanta and worked there for two years. And then I got married, had two kids, and moved back to work for my father and his construction company, Knestrick Construction. When I was 32 years old, I bought him out and basically built that company."
With his competitive tennis career beginning to become a distinct memory, the '83 SEC champ felt the call to return to the game he loved.
"About six years ago, I thought to myself, 'Maybe I can take this game back up, and enjoy it, instead of it being a job or being stressful'. I called up my old doubles partner, Jim Shackeford, that I've played with my whole life and I said, 'Hey, I'm thinking about playing tennis.' His jaw just about dropped to the floor.
He said, 'I would love to go out with you. Let's do it. You know, I've been waiting on this.' And we went out and started playing and really did enjoy it," said Knestrick. "I realized that I missed it. I didn't realize how badly I missed it until I started playing. And then the shoulder injury was still there. And so I had to have total shoulder reconstruction."
After going through shoulder reconstruction, he got involved with the USTA 55 & Over Division where he was successful in the competitive scene. In that division, Knestrick won a national category and two doubles tournaments prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through this, Knestrick was given the opportunity to compete in doubles with a couple of familiar faces from his time on the Plains.
"I got to compete with Colin Smith, who was our graduate assistant coach when I was a freshman. He played four years at Auburn and then helped Hugh Thompson coach our team. He and I played a doubles tournament together two or three years ago and had a great time, which was a lot of fun. I also won that category two title with Carlos Garcia, who played at the University of Tennessee. So, the reconnection has been great."
Knestrick did note that being competitive after being inactive for 30 years was not as simple as people may think that it is.
"People thought it was going to be like riding a bike. Hitting the ball was like riding a bike, but not competing. That's not like riding a bike."
Knestrick's success in the 55 & Over Division did land him an invitation to represent the United States in the 2022 Gordon Trophy competition, which started in 1949 and is the second oldest international tennis competition (behind the Davis Cup). The event is played annually between the United States and Canada and features the highest caliber of tennis players aged 45 years and over.
"I was invited to play on Team USA to compete against Canada in what is called the Gordon Trophy. We didn't retain the cup unfortunately that weekend, but I had a great time representing the USA. It was just an incredible experience," he said of the July competition at London, Ontario.
Not only does Knestrick stay involved with tennis, he also stays connected to Auburn. In 2018, Knestrick attended the 35th anniversary of the 1983 SEC championship team and was recognized on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
"It was one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt in my life. Honestly, one of them. To be able to see all those guys that I haven't seen since college, and then to be introduced on the 50-yard line of the LSU-Auburn game, with our names being sent across the PA system, is pretty phenomenal," he said. "It just was the coolest thing I've ever experienced in sports without a doubt. It was phenomenal."
Knestrick continued when talking about his experience about being welcomed back in 2018 by discussing how thankful he was to current men's tennis coach Bobby Reynolds for inviting the team back and how excited he is about the future of the program under Reynolds' leadership.
"Bobby [Reynolds] and Chris [Hooshyar] are doing a great job coaching and they're doing a great job with the team. Inviting us back like that and spearheading the recognition that we got was really keen from them. They're all about talking to alumni. It's just a good feeling I'm getting about what's going on down there on the Plains when it comes to the chances of winning a title. I have a feeling they're definitely going to be winning the title very soon."
Knestrick is also a two-time proud Auburn parent, as his children, Kathrine and Andrew, both attended Auburn, as did his daughter-in-law; Andrew met his wife while they were students on the Plains.
After spending most of his life in his hometown of Nashville, Knestrick married his wife Kristi in November and retired to Naples, Fla. He has two grandchildren and is expecting to have two more grandchildren arrive in December of this year.