Drexel University Men's Tennis

Rhazali is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Drexel men's and women's tennis programs, and has worked steadily to build and shape strong squads for both. He enters the 2016-17 season with a 50-22 coaching record on the womens side and a 43-33 mark for the men.   Under Rhazalis guidance, Drexel Tennis has reach new heights. In 2015-16, the Dragons mens team won a program-best 13 matches. Along the way, the team picked up its first-ever win against James Madison on April 16. The womens team also won 13 matches on the year, ending the year with 13 or more wins for the third straight season, the first time either team has accomplished the feat. Rhazali helped coach Honami Yazawa to a Round of 16 appearance at the ITA Northeast Regionals, the farthest a Drexel player has ever advanced in the event. Yazawa, who earned a regional preseason ranking of No. 18 in the northeast, also headlined the teams postseason awards as she took home All-CAA Second Team. Throughout the season, Drexel earned CAA Performer of the Week honors on seven occasions. The Dragons also continued to thrive off the court under Rhazalis watch. Clary Rodriguez Cruz was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team, the first time a Drexel womens player has earned the honor since 2008, while she and Balaji Lakshmanan were each named to the CAA All-Academic team. The women's team was top 10 percent in the country in APR for the seventh straight year, and five players were named ITA Scholar Athletes.   In 2014-15, it was the womens team journey towards program history. The women's squad served up its best season in program history with the most single-season wins (15) and the highest winning percentage (15-3, .833). The Dragons earned their best start to a season since the 2008-09 season, winning the first nine dual matches. Freshmen Clary Rodriguez Cruz and Ryshena Providence earned ITA national rankings heading into the spring season, ranked No. 106 and 117, respectively. The men's team finished the year with a 12-10 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship. Rhazali's squad saw two athletes named All-CAA, as Nicole Pivonka received Second Team honors for singles play while also being named to the All-Academic team with fellow Dragon, Badr Ouabdelmoumen. The team also had six players earned ITA Scholar Athlete honors Ouabdelmoumen and Vuk Subotic on the men's side and Rodriguez Cruz, Nicole Pivonka, Erin Bowsher and Jennifer White on the women's side.   Rhazali helped the men's team finish the season with a 9-9 record for the 2013-14 season. That season included pivotal victories over Temple and Delaware for the second year in a row, showing those regional rivals the Dragons' ability to compete at their level. Drexel was seeded No. 5 in the CAA. Rhazali helped Badr Ouabdelmoumen to 17-7 singles and 14-4 doubles records, earning Second Team All-CAA and All-Academic honors. In the fall, the team won multiple flights at the Saint Joseph's Invitaitonal, including Ouabdelmoumen's second-straight Flight 1 victory. On the women's side, Rhazali helped the team to a 13-5 record. Also seeded fifth in the CAA, the team received the NCAA APR Award. Nicole Pivonka earned CAA All-Academic honors and was also named the Northeast recipient of the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.   During his first year as head coach in the 2012 season, Rhazali led the womens team to a 9-7 record, with a win over fifth-ranked Towson and a seat in the CAA Championship quarterfinals. Zeynep Mafa became the first female player to receive First Team All-CAA honors. Nicole Pivonka was also honored with Third Team All-CAA, and in doubles, Pivonka and Emma Brooke took home Second Team All-CAA, while Marcela Rosales and Mafa received Third Team All-CAA. For the men, Rhazali helped his squad take down city competitor Temple for the first time since 2008. The Dragons also defeated Delaware twice in one season for the first time in history, the latter of the two to advance to the CAA Championship semifinals. The men ended their season with a 9-6 record. Badr Ouabdelmoumen was the first male player to become a First Team All-CAA recipient.   A 2011 graduate of Drexel, Mehdi Rhazali became the head coach of the Dragons in the summer of 2012. He came to the Dragons after serving as the team's assistant coach for a year, and after completing a successful playing career for the team. Rhazali was a steady presence in the lineup for Drexel for three years, playing in the team's top six each season and being named a team captain.   In 2011 as an assistant coach, Rhazali helped the mens tennis team to a 9-8 overall record. He was also instrumental in the recruitment of players such as Badr Ouabdelmoumen, the first freshman in Drexel Tennis history to earn All-CAA recognition when he was named a Third Team All-CAA performer. He also oversaw the program as it earned the NCAA's Academic Performance Program public recognition award.   Rhazali has also gained coaching experience as a tennis professional at Legacy Youth Tennis and Education, one of twelve certified regional training centers in the United States. There, where he continues to have a role, he is coaching all levels. His emphasis is on the Maximum Performance athletes, including Legacy's more-than 50 players with sectional and national USTA rankings. Rhazali is a Professional Tennis Registry certified coach who has received his USTA high performance certification as well as science level I certification. He is also ITPA certified as a tennis performance trainer. In addition to his high performance coaching, Rhazali was one of the most sought-after staff members at ATP and WTA tournaments where he served as a hitting partner and worked closely with some of the top juniors in the country.   As a junior himself, Rhazali was ranked in the top 10 Under-18 in Morocco. He won the USA National Public Park Championship in Stamford, Conn. as well as Under-16 singles, Under-18 and Mens Open Doubles titles while playing with his brother, Faycal, who went on to play Division I tennis at Radford University.   Rhazali, who is currently pursuing his MBA with a concentration in finance, graduated from Drexel with a degree in business administration/marketing, and finished his master's degree in sport management at Drexel in the spring of 2014. He is PTR performance, USTA high performance, and GPTCA ATP certified. In 2015, he was named to the ITA Regionals selection committee.   Before coming to Drexel, Rhazali was a three-time East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week and earned the second best team of all conference at Mercy College, a top-25 Division II program in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. He ranked sixth in ECC singles play as a freshman.   Rhazali lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Rachel.   Mehdi Rhazali Head Tennis Coach x-2032 Twitter: mrhazali Mehdi Rhazali is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Drexel men's and women's tennis programs, and has worked steadily to build and shape strong squads for both. He enters the 2016-17 season with a 50-22 coaching record on the womens side and a 43-33 mark for the men.   Under Rhazalis guidance, Drexel Tennis has reach new heights. In 2015-16, the Dragons mens team won a program-best 13 matches. Along the way, the team picked up its first-ever win against James Madison on April 16. The womens team also won 13 matches on the year, ending the year with 13 or more wins for the third straight season, the first time either team has accomplished the feat. Rhazali helped coach Honami Yazawa to a Round of 16 appearance at the ITA Northeast Regionals, the farthest a Drexel player has ever advanced in the event. Yazawa, who earned a regional preseason ranking of No. 18 in the northeast, also headlined the teams postseason awards as she took home All-CAA Second Team. Throughout the season, Drexel earned CAA Performer of the Week honors on seven occasions. The Dragons also continued to thrive off the court under Rhazalis watch. Clary Rodriguez Cruz was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team, the first time a Drexel womens player has earned the honor since 2008, while she and Balaji Lakshmanan were each named to the CAA All-Academic team. The women's team was top 10 percent in the country in APR for the seventh straight year, and five players were named ITA Scholar Athletes.   In 2014-15, it was the womens team journey towards program history. The women's squad served up its best season in program history with the most single-season wins (15) and the highest winning percentage (15-3, .833). The Dragons earned their best start to a season since the 2008-09 season, winning the first nine dual matches. Freshmen Clary Rodriguez Cruz and Ryshena Providence earned ITA national rankings heading into the spring season, ranked No. 106 and 117, respectively. The men's team finished the year with a 12-10 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship. Rhazali's squad saw two athletes named All-CAA, as Nicole Pivonka received Second Team honors for singles play while also being named to the All-Academic team with fellow Dragon, Badr Ouabdelmoumen. The team also had six players earned ITA Scholar Athlete honors Ouabdelmoumen and Vuk Subotic on the men's side and Rodriguez Cruz, Nicole Pivonka, Erin Bowsher and Jennifer White on the women's side.   Rhazali helped the men's team finish the season with a 9-9 record for the 2013-14 season. That season included pivotal victories over Temple and Delaware for the second year in a row, showing those regional rivals the Dragons' ability to compete at their level. Drexel was seeded No. 5 in the CAA. Rhazali helped Badr Ouabdelmoumen to 17-7 singles and 14-4 doubles records, earning Second Team All-CAA and All-Academic honors. In the fall, the team won multiple flights at the Saint Joseph's Invitaitonal, including Ouabdelmoumen's second-straight Flight 1 victory. On the women's side, Rhazali helped the team to a 13-5 record. Also seeded fifth in the CAA, the team received the NCAA APR Award. Nicole Pivonka earned CAA All-Academic honors and was also named the Northeast recipient of the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.   During his first year as head coach in the 2012 season, Rhazali led the womens team to a 9-7 record, with a win over fifth-ranked Towson and a seat in the CAA Championship quarterfinals. Zeynep Mafa became the first female player to receive First Team All-CAA honors. Nicole Pivonka was also honored with Third Team All-CAA, and in doubles, Pivonka and Emma Brooke took home Second Team All-CAA, while Marcela Rosales and Mafa received Third Team All-CAA. For the men, Rhazali helped his squad take down city competitor Temple for the first time since 2008. The Dragons also defeated Delaware twice in one season for the first time in history, the latter of the two to advance to the CAA Championship semifinals. The men ended their season with a 9-6 record. Badr Ouabdelmoumen was the first male player to become a First Team All-CAA recipient.   A 2011 graduate of Drexel, Mehdi Rhazali became the head coach of the Dragons in the summer of 2012. He came to the Dragons after serving as the team's assistant coach for a year, and after completing a successful playing career for the team. Rhazali was a steady presence in the lineup for Drexel for three years, playing in the team's top six each season and being named a team captain.   In 2011 as an assistant coach, Rhazali helped the mens tennis team to a 9-8 overall record. He was also instrumental in the recruitment of players such as Badr Ouabdelmoumen, the first freshman in Drexel Tennis history to earn All-CAA recognition when he was named a Third Team All-CAA performer. He also oversaw the program as it earned the NCAA's Academic Performance Program public recognition award.   Rhazali has also gained coaching experience as a tennis professional at Legacy Youth Tennis and Education, one of twelve certified regional training centers in the United States. There, where he continues to have a role, he is coaching all levels. His emphasis is on the Maximum Performance athletes, including Legacy's more-than 50 players with sectional and national USTA rankings. Rhazali is a Professional Tennis Registry certified coach who has received his USTA high performance certification as well as science level I certification. He is also ITPA certified as a tennis performance trainer. In addition to his high performance coaching, Rhazali was one of the most sought-after staff members at ATP and WTA tournaments where he served as a hitting partner and worked closely with some of the top juniors in the country.   As a junior himself, Rhazali was ranked in the top 10 Under-18 in Morocco. He won the USA National Public Park Championship in Stamford, Conn. as well as Under-16 singles, Under-18 and Mens Open Doubles titles while playing with his brother, Faycal, who went on to play Division I tennis at Radford University.   Rhazali, who is currently pursuing his MBA with a concentration in finance, graduated from Drexel with a degree in business administration/marketing, and finished his master's degree in sport management at Drexel in the spring of 2014. He is PTR performance, USTA high performance, and GPTCA ATP certified. In 2015, he was named to the ITA Regionals selection committee.   Before coming to Drexel, Rhazali was a three-time East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week and earned the second best team of all conference at Mercy College, a top-25 Division II program in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. He ranked sixth in ECC singles play as a freshman.   Rhazali lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Rachel.