LAKOU
ASSOCIATION
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Agenor is a tennis-legend and the first known Haitian to win a gold medal at an international event when he won the men’s title at the 1982 edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games. He is the son Frederic Agenor (former United Nations diplomat and Minister of Agriculture of Haiti). Although he was born in Morocco
His junior career seen climbing to eighth in the world in 1982, during which he won two titles in Monte Carlo and in Charleroi, reached the semi-finals of the prestigious Orange Bowl and won the gold medal for the colors of Haiti to Carribéens Games held in Havana. He participated in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and actually began his career in 1985, the year in which it passes the 416th place in the world to 49e.
In 1987 he reached the final tournament in Gstaad, Bordeaux and Basel, losing the latter facing Yannick Noah in the first final of the story between two black players. He won his first ATP tournament in Athens in 1989 and the same year he qualified for the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, reached the best world ranking of his career (22) and was appointed Honorary Consul of Haiti in Bordeaux. 1990 gave him a nickname, "The Haitian Sensation" through his victories in tournaments of Berlin.
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Winner of a Challenger tournament final in Birmingham in 2000, Ronald Agenor began his conversion as a coach in 2001 and opened the Ronald Agenor Tennis Academy in Los Angeles in May 2002, a month after he ended his career as a professional player.
Agénor retired at 38, having turned into a millionaire over the years thanks to prizes he earned for his skills on the court—and after having had one of the longest careers as a tennis star. In the early 2000s, Agénor left France for the United States, and competed first at the Birmingham Finals, then at the French and U.S. Open. In the aforementioned book Blacks at the Net: Black Achievement in the History of Tennis author Sundiata Djata points out that Agénor’s rejection of French citizenship and his insistence on playing under
the Haitian flag cost him a lot of career-furthering sponsorships from France, but that decision doesn’t really top the tennis legend’s regret list one bit.
Today, Agénor is the proud father of two daughters, and lives with his wife and proud supporter Tonya Williams in Los Angeles. He is not only a world class tennis champion, but also an activist (he is a member of Champions for Peace club) and remains loyal to the game, having founded the Ronald Agénor Tennis Academy in California. He also mentors up-and-coming stars in the world of tennis. Among them is Takangi Garangawa, a native of Zimbabwe who’s making major noise in the world of tennis. Beyond the court, the tennis champ has always loved music and actually plays the guitar.
Websites:
http://ronaldagenortennisacademy.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Ag%C3%A9nor
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Ag/R/Ronald-Agenor.aspx
http://hub.aa.com/en/aw/caribbean-haiti-ronald-agenor-tennis-atp-tour
For information, please contact:
Telephone: 202-681-0222
Email: info@lakouassociation.org
Mail: Lakou Association Leadership Gala Awards
2007 Osborn Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Ronald Jean Martin Agénor
Courtesy of Michel Soucar
