April 24, 2018
By Joanne Norell
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team will add one of the nation’s top prospects to its roster this fall, as the Irish signed blue-chip talent Axel Nefve to a National Letter of Intent. Callaghan Family Head Men’s Tennis Coach Ryan Sachire made the announcement Tuesday.
Nefve is currently the No. 16 prospect in the 2018 signing class according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. He will join an Irish program that has signed top-10 classes in each of the past three recruiting cycles.
“I am ecstatic that Axel Nefve will be joining our Notre Dame tennis family,” Sachire said. “Axel has consistently demonstrated that he is one of the very best junior tennis players in the world, and we anticipate him making a big impact on our program in the years to come. Axel’s hard work, discipline and passion to be an elite student-athlete make him a perfect fit for Notre Dame.”
“Axel is a special talent and tremendous addition to our program,” said associate head coach Adam Schaechterle. “Not only is he a world-class prospect, he is a perfect fit for our culture. Our players did an amazing job during the recruiting process and I know they are as excited as we are to get Axel here this fall.”
Axel Nefve | 6-3 | Boca Raton, Fla. | Saviano High Performance Tennis Academy
- Five-star blue chip recruit according to the Tennis Recruiting Network
- Currently ranked as the No. 16 recruit in the nation according to the Tennis Recruiting Network
- Ranked as high as No. 60 in the world by the International Tennis Federation
- Won the USTA National Clay Court Championships in Boys’ 18 Singles
- Competed in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the 2017 Junior U.S. Open
- Doubles champion at prestigious German ITF events: Allianz Kundler German Juniors (G1) and An Der Valk Hotel Gladbeck Junior Cup (G2)
- International Spring Championships singles semifinalist (2017) and doubles champion (2018)
— ND —
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame men’s tennis and fencing programs, in addition to assisting with football communications and overseeing production of the football Gameday Magazine. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.