ITHACA, N.Y. — Since taking over in 2011, Silviu Tanasoiu, the Director of Intercollegiate Tennis and Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men’s Tennis, has led Cornell to unprecedented heights.

Four NCAA Tournament appearances – and four NCAA victories. An Ivy League title. A program-record 224 wins. The recruitment and development of Cornell’s first All-American, Radu Papoe ’25.

With Papoe and his classmates graduating as the most accomplished senior class in program history, the Big Red’s 14th-year head coach now faces a new challenge: sustaining, and building upon, that success with a talented but largely untested group. That group gets its first chance to compete together when it heads to Harvard for Chowderfest beginning on Friday, Sept. 19 in Cambridge, Mass.

“That senior class was one of the most special groups of guys I’ve ever been around, without a doubt,” Tanasoiu said. “They worked hard, they listened, and they represented the program in an outstanding fashion. They’ve set a standard we want to build upon.”

The 2025–26 season brings both opportunity and promise. With the departure of four key seniors, including two nationally ranked All-Ivy singles players, the door is open for returners to rise and newcomers to make an immediate impact.

“This is a significantly younger group, with four guys who haven’t been on the prime stage yet,” Tanasoiu said. “There’s a steep learning curve, but it’s also one of the biggest opportunities we’ve had as a staff in a while.”

Leading the way are junior Eric Verdes and sophomore Rushil Khosla, second-team All-Ivy doubles honorees who qualified for the NCAA Tournament last spring. Both are expected to take on expanded roles in singles this year.

Two singles starters return from last season: sophomore Rodrigo Fernandes, who went 10-10 in the middle of the lineup as a freshman, and junior Felipe Pinzon, who posted a strong 14-8 mark lower in the order.

Senior Petar Teodorovic is back after missing the spring with an injury. He was 8-3 before being sidelined and previously held down the No. 3 spot, bringing valuable experience to the lineup.

Veteran depth comes from seniors Noah Eisenberg (11-4 over the past two seasons) and Aman Sharma (32-20 career record), both strong candidates to earn full-time spots while offering leadership on and off the court

Adding further intrigue is a highly regarded freshman class. Jack Casciato and Nathan Gold, both top-100 national recruits, headline the group, with Gold a three-time undefeated state champion. They’re joined by Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar, the reigning men’s national champion of India and a top-40 ITF junior, bringing elite international experience to East Hill.

With a mix of proven returners and high-upside newcomers, the Big Red is well-positioned to remain a national contender

“The fall and winter will determine a lot – where all the pieces will settle,” Tanasoiu said. “So many things can shift over the next four months. I’m genuinely looking forward to being on the court with them. There’s a lot we can get done.”