<\/p>\n
ITHACA, N.Y. \u2014 Since taking over in 2011, Silviu Tanasoiu<\/a>, the Director of Intercollegiate Tennis and Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men’s Tennis, has led Cornell to unprecedented heights.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> ’25.<\/p>\n 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,\u00a0and 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\u00a0beginning on Friday, Sept. 19 in Cambridge, Mass.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n The 2025\u201326 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Leading the way are junior Eric Verdes<\/a> and sophomore Rushil Khosla<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n Two singles starters return from last season: sophomore Rodrigo Fernandes<\/a>, who went 10-10 in the middle of the lineup as a freshman, and junior Felipe Pinzon<\/a>, who posted a strong 14-8 mark lower in the order.<\/p>\n Senior Petar Teodorovic<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Veteran depth comes from seniors Noah Eisenberg<\/a> (11-4 over the past two seasons) and Aman Sharma<\/a> (32-20 career record), both strong candidates to earn full-time spots while offering leadership on and off the court With a mix of proven returners and high-upside newcomers, the Big Red is well-positioned to remain a national contender<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n
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\nAdding further intrigue is a highly regarded freshman class. Jack Casciato<\/a> and Nathan Gold<\/a>,\u00a0both top-100 national recruits, headline the group, with Gold a three-time undefeated state champion. They’re joined by Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar<\/a>, the reigning men’s national champion of India and a top-40 ITF junior, bringing elite international experience to East Hill.<\/p>\n