Xander Centenari - Men's Tennis Coach - Dartmouth College Athletics

Xander Centenari

Title:
John Kenfield and Chuck Kinyon Head Coach of Men's Tennis
Alma Mater:
Dartmouth ’13
Email:
alexander.c.centenari@dartmouth.edu
Phone (603):
646-3819
At Dartmouth:
4th Year (2019-)

September 2022

Tennis Recruiting.net article on Centenari

Xander Centenari is entering his fourth season at the helm of the men's tennis program in 2022-23.

In April of 2021, the men's tennis head coaching position was endowed, being named in recognition of Chuck Kinyon, who twice led the team to Ivy League titles, and the late John Kenfield.

2021-22: The Big Green went 9-12 with a 1-6 mark in the Ivy League in their first full season under Centenari. Dartmouth started 3-0 with wins over Binghamton, Bryant and Fordham, and later defeated Brown as part of the ECAC Indoor Championship. Pierce Widdecomb was named Academic All-Ivy.

2020-21: The season was severely shortened due to COVID-19. The Big Green were able to play once in the spring against Williams, a match they won, 5-2. Peter Conklin was named Academic All-Ivy.

2019-20: Dartmouth went 9-3 during a season that was shortened by COVID-19. Charlie Broom won the ITA Northeast Regional singles title, while he and David Horneffer made it to the final in doubles. In dual matches, the team started on a nine-match winning streak, taking down three nationally ranked opponents over the span of four weeks. The Big Green made their way into the national rankings, sitting as high as No. 25. Horneffer was named Academic All-Ivy.

Centenari was a volunteer assistant coach at South Florida in 2018 before being promoted to assistant coach for the 2019 season. While there, he helped the team to an American Athletic Conference (ACC) title, a second round NCAA Tournament appearance, and a year-end Division I ranking of No. 34. He also saw Alberto Barroso Campos garner AAC Player of the Year honors and Chase Ferguson be named Rookie of the Year.

Prior to that, Centenari enjoyed a four-year professional career (2013-17), playing singles and doubles in more than 100 tournaments across 22 countries. He reached the finals in three tournaments during his last 18 months of play and was ranked No. 536 in doubles and No. 1249 in singles by the ATP, both of which were career-highs.

Centenari began professional coaching in 2016, coaching some of the world's best professional players, including Gonzalo Escobar (No. 281 in singles) and Sami Reinwein (No. 488 in singles). He helped Reinwein to nine ITF Futures semifinals appearances and one ITF Futures final. In 2017, Centenari coached Escobar to a career-high ATP ranking of No. 281 in singles and coached him to his first ITF Futures pro singles title since 2014.

Centenari graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in psychology. A two-time captain, he competed primarily at the number 1 and 2 singles and doubles positions. He helped lead the team to 18 dual match wins in 2012 and a NCAA Team ranking of No. 49, and achieved a career high NCAA Singles ranking of No. 65. He was the 2013 recipient of the ITA Northeast Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award and was named All-Ivy for singles (2011) and doubles (2011, 2013) during his time in Hanover.