Tennis player Ronald Agénor was born 62 years ago in Rabat

62 years ago, on November 13, 1964, Ronald Agénor, the Haitian tennis player who rose to the world elite, was born in Rabat.

Promising beginnings

The son of Frédéric Agénor, a diplomat and minister of agriculture, he discovered tennis in the Congo, then progressed in Bordeaux. In 1982, he reached 8th place in the world junior rankings and won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana. He participated in the Los Angeles Olympic Games, then climbed from 416th to 49th in the world rankings in 1985.

At the top of the circuit

In 1987, he lost the Basel final to Yannick Noah, the first final between two Black players. The following year, he beat Mats Wilander and Andre Agassi in Rome. In 1989, he won his first ATP title in Athens, reached the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros, and achieved his highest ranking, 22nd in the world. He was also named honorary consul of Haiti in Bordeaux. In 1990, he won in Berlin and Genoa.

A notable comeback

After a long break in 1996-1997, he returned in 1998 and found his way back into the top 100 the following year, at 88th, at age 35, a feat only Jimmy Connors had achieved before him. He ended his career in 2002 and opened the Ronald Agenor Tennis Academy in Los Angeles. He became a naturalized American citizen in 2006.