Wheelchair tennis player and organizer of the first Cap d'Agde tournament, Jean-Félix Boudou is fighting for himself and for others

Après deux ans de compétition, Jean-Félix Boudou a pour objectif d’atteindre le top 30 français. D.R.

Joueur de tennis fauteuil de niveau national, il organise un tournoi cette semaine – du jeudi 12 au dimanche 15 décembre – sur les installations du Centre international de tennis du Cap d'Agde.

From his years spent on the rugby field, Jean-Félix Boudou has cultivated an altruism that he has never lost. Even when the degenerative disease he has suffered from since adolescence, Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, which induces a decrease in muscle strength over the years, begins to tear at his body and put his morale to the test.

A sports project, a life project

Jean-Félix, an employee in the city's sports department, put the boundless energy he has always shown to good use a little over two years ago by launching himself into a new discipline for him: wheelchair tennis. You probably saw images of this spectacular discipline last summer at Roland-Garros during the Paris Paralympic Games. They obviously did not leave the Agathois, now ranked 38th French player, unmoved by them, as he looked after the Japanese delegation last August when they came to prepare for the competition. “I am progressing, that is the most important thing for me” , appreciates Jean-Félix, who has secured the services of a coach and benefits from the support of his club, Tennis Padel Cap d'Agde, the municipality and the CIT, to carry out his project. With nearly twenty tournaments under his belt, he now knows the expectations of a physically demanding sport.“If I could get into the French top 30, that would already be magnificent”, he believes.“Afterwards, it really plays very well, with guys who have either been in a wheelchair for a long time, or players for whom it is more recent but who have a real tennis background.”

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A tournament to inspire vocations

But that is not the main thing for Jean-Félix, for whom traveling to tournaments is a breath of fresh air: “meeting other people who are also suffering, it reassures in a way. For me, it did me good.” So, he did not hesitate for long when the opportunity to organize a wheelchair tennis tournament in Cap d'Agde arose presented. “There are no competitions in the region at this time of year”, he regretted for a long time. But with the International Tennis Center, Agde has a formidable tool, capable of organizing tournaments, including in the winter season. “I want to develop this activity for others, in competition as well as for leisure”, he explains.

Also, from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 December, the 1st edition of the national wheelchair tennis and padel tournament will take place in Cap d'Agde (read below). The opportunity to see some of the best French players play of course, but also to inspire vocations, that's also the goal. “There are about thirty sports associations for people with disabilities in Hérault, but nearly 90% are in Montpellier”, regrets Jean-Félix. “There are few offers on the Sète – Béziers – Pézenas triangle. That's also the reason why we are organizing this competition. And if after that, just one person comes to see us to try wheelchair tennis, we'll have already won!”

A great show at Cap d'Agde

THE TOURNAMENT On Wednesday morning, Jean-Félix Boudou had to deal with two last-minute withdrawals. But no stress for the organizer of the 1st edition of the national padel and wheelchair tennis tournament in Cap d'Agde, who can count on a substantial waiting list. When we opened registrations, the places were gone in two hours, » he testifies. Thus, seven teams will participate this Thursday, December 12 in the wheelchair padel tournament and twenty-four players are entered over the three days that the wheelchair tennis tournament will last, with finals scheduled for Sunday, December 15 in the morning. On the courts, we will be able to see the young nugget from Grau-du-Roi Clément Miranda, an illustrious former player in the person of Laurent Giammartini, former world No. 1, four Paralympic Games to his credit.

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