Before becoming one of the first African players to win an ATP tournament after starting out ranked outside the world's top 400, Yahiya Doumbia had to navigate the professional circuit alone for a long time. Without a structure comparable to those of the major tennis nations, without a permanent training group, and with injuries that hampered his progress, the former Senegalese player nevertheless cherishes the memory of a unique adventure, marked in particular by his titles in Lyon and Bordeaux.

Present in Yaoundé at an event organized around the physical challenge of the Cameroonian Minister of the Interior Paul Atanga Nji, the former 73rd world player spoke frankly about his career, his injuries, his loneliness on the circuit and that famous week in Lyon which marked the history of African tennis.

A second participation in Cameroon

The former Senegalese player was already familiar with the event organized around Paul Atanga Nji.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  This is my second time here. Four years ago, we were here with Yannick Noah, Tarik Benhabiles, Loïc Courteau…

At the time, we thought the record had been validated. This time, he officially achieved it, so we're happy for him.

Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."

His beginnings thanks to his uncle

Yahiya Doumbia's story with tennis begins in Senegal.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  My uncle was the technical director of the Senegalese Tennis Federation. He took his children and nephews to form a group around him.

Very quickly, we became the best players in Senegal, boys and girls.

Then I won the African championships before turning professional.

"Being African on the circuit was more complicated."

The former player then explains the difficulties encountered at the time.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  Yes, clearly, it was more complicated.

Firstly, because we didn't have the structures or the training that the Europeans or Americans had. You realize this when you start to travel.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  The French travelled together, the Spanish together, the Swedes together.

I was often alone because there were hardly any other African players on the circuit at that time.

The Senegalese man nevertheless gained significant experience in France.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  When I left Senegal, I came to train for a year at Roland-Garros.

There was Guy Forget, François Jauffret, Vino Grassi… there was a real group.

Then I spent four years at university in the United States before turning professional.

Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."

"In Lyon, nobody knew me."

It is obviously impossible to avoid the famous ATP tournament in Lyon.

At the time ranked around 450th in the world, Yahiya Doumbia won the tournament after coming through qualifying.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  Yes, clearly, there was a before and after Lyon.

I was coming back from the United States, I had decided to do a few tournaments during the summer… and finally I won my first ATP tournament.

At the time, no one had won an ATP tournament with such a low ranking.

I was ranked 453rd or 454th in the world. Then the record was broken, but I did it twice, first with Lyon and then with Bordeaux.

"The players all wanted to know who I was."

 Yahiya Doumbia:  After Lyon, many players came to congratulate me.

Even the best players in the world wanted to know who I was, where I came from, how I played.

Naturally, this completely changes the relationships with the other players.

The former Senegalese player, however, claims not to have been surprised by his career path.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  I wasn't surprised because I knew my level.

I hadn't played much before, so my ranking didn't necessarily reflect my true level.

Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."
Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."

"I've never been afraid on the pitch."

 Yahiya Doumbia:  When I step onto the field, I am never afraid.

I play to win. If the other player is better, congratulations to them. But I've never had that fear of losing.

During his time in Lyon, Yahiya Doumbia notably eliminated Andrei Chesnokov.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  I beat Chesnokov in the first round when he was in the world's top 10.

Then I felt good and I simply developed my game.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  Many players achieve a great feat and then fall back down because they remain in the euphoria.

I remained very calm throughout the week.

Why he never made it into the top 50 for any significant period

Despite his performances, Yahiya Doumbia will never go beyond 73rd place in the world rankings.

The main reason: injuries.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  After my best season, I injured my arm.

I couldn't touch a racket for almost eight months.

At the time, I didn't have a real medical structure around me.

"Everything I earned went back into travel."

 Yahiya Doumbia:  Unlike some French players, I did not have a medical structure ready to help me.

Everything I earned went back into travel and medical care.

A few years later, a new and enormous difficulty arose.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  After winning a Challenger tournament in Brazil, I woke up with blurred vision.

I saw double as soon as I made an effort.

Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."
Yahiya Doumbia: "At the time, I was the only Senegalese player on the circuit."

"I saw two bullets."

 Yahiya Doumbia:  I saw two people, two bullets.

The doctors attributed this to fatigue, travel, and poor recovery.

My eyelid had drooped and I could no longer properly control my eye.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  It lasted a year and a half before everything went back to normal.

In the end, over my entire career, I was truly at 100% for five years.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  Yes, because I think I could have done more without all those injuries.

A life always focused on tennis

Now living near Mulhouse, Yahiya Doumbia continues to teach tennis.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  I am a coach. I work with young people, adults, and also a lot in private lessons.

I still play every day, even though I obviously don't have the physique I used to have.

Amused by the challenge issued by the Cameroonian minister, the former player is already promising to return better prepared.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  He only warned me two days before because he wanted to beat us.

But now, when I return to Mulhouse, I'm going straight back to the gym and training.

Padel? "My favorite sport will always be tennis."

Despite the explosion of padel, Yahiya Doumbia remains first and foremost a lover of the little yellow ball.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  I'll play padel from time to time, but my favorite sport will always be tennis.

Before concluding, the former Senegalese player once again praised the physical performance achieved in Cameroon.

 Yahiya Doumbia:  We tennis players know how difficult what he did is.

We drink at every change of side, we eat, we sit down… He lasted more than four hours in that heat.

Honestly, well done to him.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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