Fresh off the men's tennis team's 4-3 loss to Loyola Marymount University, Alex de Chatellus '13 sat down with me to talk tennis, pump-up songs and the similarities between choosing a doubles partner and a life companion.
Why did you decide to play tennis in college, and why did you choose Dartmouth?
AC: I chose to play in college because I've been playing tennis for nine or 10 years now, and it's been such an integral part of my life that I knew I wanted to continue playing at the next level. I chose Dartmouth because my senior fall, I took a trip up to Hanover to meet the team and the coach, and I fell in love with it. The team is so close, and Hanover seemed like a great place.
How do you think the new head coach, Chris Drake, has been for the team?
AC: The new coach has been great for us he's helped change the culture of this team in terms of really turning our team into one of the top national teams in the country. We've been ranked the last two weeks, which Dartmouth hasn't done in the past two years, and that attests to what he's done for the team.
Do you prefer singles or doubles? Why?
AC: I love doubles, and I've done pretty well so far. But at the same time, before college you can play both [doubles and singles], and I've only played doubles this season. They're both very different but very fun to play.
Is finding a doubles partner like finding a life partner?
AC: [Laughs] It's a little bit like that. It's a lot about chemistry, how your games hold together and who you get along with because there are ups and downs in every match, so you have to work well as a team.
What do you think about the freshmen so far?
AC: Overall, they've been a big help to our team. I played doubles with one of the freshman, Cameron Ghorbani '14, and we've done really well this season. Brandon DeBot '14 has also really come in and pushed everyone to get better, and that's how you get better as a team by competing for limited spots in matches. The freshmen have done a great job, and they fit in well with the rest of the team.
Speaking of DeBot, do you two ever fight over who has the better "De" last name?
AC: We don't fight at all. It's pretty much considered that my name is far superior to his, and since he's a freshman, there's really no contest.
But if you both became doubles partners, what team name would you choose? DeChatbot or DeBotellus?
AC: We'd probably just cut his name completely out of it and just go with de Chatellus.
How did you feel about your and the team's performance in your last match against Loyola?
AC: We've had a pretty good spring break trip. We lost to [Loyola] 4-3 today, and they're a good team out of Los Angeles. I won my doubles match and played pretty well, but more importantly, as a team, we competed really hard, and it was really tight. We ended up losing in the deciding match. It was disappointing, but everyone fought really hard.
If you had one of those celebrity athlete warm-up playlists on iTunes, what songs would you put on it?
AC: "Heart Vacancy" by The Wanted, "I Got It" by Gorilla Zoe and "All of the Lights" by Kanye West.
What are you looking forward to most going into the rest of the season?
AC: Mostly getting ready for the Ivy matches. We train all year to play these matches, and that's really what the success of our season boils down to those three and a half weeks when we play our rivals. It's great going out as a team and battling these teams every weekend. That's why we put in the time off the court, and we're looking forward to it.
Do you have an individual goal for the season?
AC: 7-0 in doubles in Ivies would be great for me, personally. As a team, we're looking to play at the top. We've got a really good shot to do it, so it'll be a great next couple of weeks for the team.
