NEWARK, NJ – NJIT men's tennis head coach Marco Matteucci has announced the addition of three newcomers who will join the Highlanders for the 2026-27 season. Freshmen Arijan Kaliterna, Xingyu Chen and sophomore transfer Francisco Guimaraes are the three newest Highlanders and come to Newark with experience and proven success at the junior, collegiate and professional levels.  

Kaliterna arrives at NJIT as one of the fastest-rising junior players in Europe. Throughout the recruiting process, he continued to elevate his game with strong performances on the international circuit, boosting his Universal Tennis Rating to 12.17 heading into the fall. The Paris, France native is expected to strengthen the Highlanders' lineup immediately with his aggressive all-court game.

"When we first started recruiting Arijan, we knew he had the tools to become a special player," Matteucci said. "Since then, he's continued to improve every month, and I think his best tennis is still ahead of him."

Chen joins the Highlanders after building an impressive résumé on the ITF Junior Circuit. The Dongguan, China native captured multiple ITF Junior doubles titles and climbed as high as No. 281 in the ITF Junior doubles rankings. He also turned heads with a victory over a highly-rated junior who is set to compete at Stanford, showcasing the level he is capable of competing at against elite opposition.

"Xingyu has shown he can compete with some of the top juniors in the world," Matteucci said. "He's been especially successful in doubles, but we believe he has all the tools to develop into an outstanding college player."

Guimaraes comes to Newark after an outstanding freshman season at Lee University, where he earned Gulf South Conference Rookie of the Year honors. The Lisbon, Portugal native also brings valuable professional experience, having competed successfully on the ITF Pro Tour while reaching a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 1807. His combination of collegiate experience and international success will add immediate depth and leadership to the Highlanders' roster.

"Francisco has already proven himself at the collegiate level and has experience competing professionally," Matteucci said. "Adding a player with that kind of experience is invaluable, and we're excited to see what he'll bring to our lineup this season."

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