The future of African Tennis

What if the new African tennis star was coming straight from the Ivory Coast?

Having been poorly represented on the ATP circuit since its foundation, the country of 30 million inhabitants has never made tennis a priority.

Carried along for some time by Claude N'Goran, former 200th player in the world and best player in the country's history, the West African nation seems to have found a new ambassador in Eliaikim Koulibali.

What if 2025 was the year of African tennis?

Coulibaly winning his first win over a top 100 player at the Orléans Challenger, credit : La république du centre.

Winner of 4 tournaments on the ITF circuit and surprising semi-finalist at the Brazaville Challenger, Eliakim Coulibaly has made remarkable progress in recent months, to the delight of Africa fans.

Having defeated even higher-ranked players, the young Abidjan native is defying the odds and even managed to secure his first top 100 ranking in the person of Quentin Halys at the Challenger D'Orléans.

Blessed with a powerful forehand and a very physical game, Coulibaly is hoping to shake things up, despite coming from so far away...

«  It's really complicated, coming from Africa, to rise to this level and beat a top 100 »

Coached by his father, young Eliakim first fell in love with the yellow ball on the rare courts of Abidjan, before moving to Casablanca in Morocco to develop his game, hoping to make a career. 

Few years have passed and the young Ivorian tennis prospect is now training at the Mouratoglou Academy, surrounded by the very best.

Now ranked 338th in the world, Coulibaly's aim is to perform on the Challenger circuit and, why not, make it into the main draw of a grand slam this season.

The 22-year-old may not realize it, but he could well wake up a continent.