TEMPE, Ariz. – Enjoying strong seasons before its abrupt conclusion, freshman Neel Rajesh and sophomore Alexandre Rotsaert have earned regional awards from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Rajesh is the ITA Northwest Region Rookie of the Year, while Rotsaert takes home ITA Northwest Region Player to Watch honors.
Rajesh flourished in his first season for Stanford, posting a 14-9 singles record and a 16-8 mark in doubles. He ended the season ranked No. 14 in doubles, alongside junior Axel Geller, and was ranked as high as 98th in singles on Feb. 5. No stranger to clutch performances, Rajesh went 6-3 in three-set matches and recorded the clinching point four times.
Rajesh is the third Stanford player to take home the award under Paul Goldstein, The Taube Family Director of Men's Tennis. He joins Geller (2018) and Tom Fawcett (2015) with the regional honor.
Ranked No. 7 nationally when the season ended, and as high as No. 5 on Feb. 18, Rotsaert finished with a 13-7 singles mark, including a team-leading eight wins over ranked opponents and three top-10 wins. He advanced to the semifinals this fall at the ITA All-American Championships, and later reached the Championship at the Sherwood Cup. He finished with a 10-10 doubles mark, including a pair of victories over ranked pairs.
Rotsaert is Stanford's second-consecutive winner of the award, joining Geller a year ago.
The two players helped lead the Cardinal to an 8-5 record this spring, including four wins over ranked opponents, and a No. 8 national ranking when the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 global outbreak. With their regional awards, both players are eligible for national awards in the same categories.