EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern men’s tennis welcomed Petros Alex to the staff as an assistant coach, Head Coach Arvid Swan announced on Thursday. Alex brings with him a record of success at the Division I level, including multiple stints with the Big Ten’s premier tennis teams.
“I am really excited to have Petros join the staff,” said Swan. “He brings incredible experience at the highest level of college tennis and he has a great track record in recruiting and player development. I can’t wait to begin working with Petros.”
Alex joins the ‘Cats after spending last season with the No. 6 USC women’s tennis team. He helped the Trojans to the Big Ten regular season title and the NCAA Sweet 16. With Alex’s guidance, the Trojans went 21-7 in 2026, including a 12-1 mark during a competitive Big Ten schedule. He coached Lily Fairclough and Krisha Mahendran to Big Ten Doubles Team of the Year honors and helped four USC student-athletes to All-American status in 2026. In addition, Alex assisted in recruiting one of the nation’s top 10 recruiting classes.
Prior to his time in Los Angeles, Alex also made stops as an assistant men’s tennis coach at Utah State and Oregon. In Logan, he helped the Aggies to a third-place finish in the Mountain West and a top-50 ranking in the ITA team standings, guiding four student-athletes to all-conference honors. He saw similar success at Oregon, where he helped lead the team to the semifinal round of the PAC-12 Tournament, upsetting the third-seeded UCLA Bruins along the way. Under his tutelage, Quinn Vandecasteele received first team all-conference honors and qualified for the NCAA Singles Tournament.
A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Alex also excelled during his own playing career. He helped the team to a combined 27-17 record during his final two seasons, culminating in trips to the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament in both years. He also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Student-Athletes for Inclusion & Diversity while earning ITA All-Academic honors in each of his seasons with the Fighting Hawks. He graduated from UND in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and a minor in athletic coaching.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Northwestern tennis staff and work alongside Arvid and Chema,” said Alex on the move. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of a program with such a strong history, and I look forward to working with the players and helping them develop on and off the court. I can’t wait to get to Evanston!”