Tempe, AZ – Working in collaboration with the ITA Student-Athlete Council, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to spotlight another student-athlete in our monthly heritage month spotlights that aim to highlight the many diverse backgrounds that make up the sport of college tennis.
With February being Black History Month, the ITA is continuing to spotlight several black student-athletes, allowing them to have a platform to share their stories and experiences as a black student-athlete playing college tennis. This week’s spotlight features Solen Bellemare from Union College who has been an integral part of the Union College men’s tennis team over his two years on campus.
As the lone senior on the Pepperdine team this season, Broadus has taken on a new leadership role for the Wave this season, showcasing what she has learned about the program during her first three years on the team. As a five time ITA All-American, Broadus has consistently been one of the top doubles players in women’s tennis, have a career high No. 1 doubles ranking, and finishing as the 2024 NCAA Doubles Finalist and the 2022 ITA Fall Nationals Finalist.
As a native of France, Solen led Union is singles wins and total wins during his freshman season. Solen won four of his last five matches of his freshman season to finish 5-2 in conference play, while earning Doubles Team of the Week honors during the first week in April.
In this spotlight, Bellemare will share a little bit about himself and some of his experiences growing up as a black athlete in the tennis community and how he hopes to make an impact on future generations.
See what Solen had to say in this spotlight below:
Hi, my name is Solen Bellemare and I am a Sophomore coming from France, at Union College. Outside of tennis, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics with the hopes of pursuing a career in Astrophysics.
Body Topic #1: Please share a little bit about your journey to college tennis. Why was it important to you to pursue tennis at this level? What people or personal experiences inspired you to play college tennis?
I come from France, so it’s been quite a journey to play college tennis in the US. I have always been inspired by my dad who since I was very young told me I could have the opportunity of playing tennis representing a school in the US if I played well. So I kept on chasing my dreams of becoming the best tennis player I can looking up to Gael Monfils. It is important for me to keep playing tennis because I love this sport and I can’t see myself without playing. It is also a way for me to escape my problems and think about nothing but hitting the next ball.
Body Topic #2: What are some initiatives you would suggest to make tennis more inclusive and supportive of athletes from diverse backgrounds?
I think we need more representation in our sport at every level. Now it is getting better we have more black people playing at a high level like Tiafoe, Gael, Tsonga, Shelton and more but it is still only a few heads. I hope that soon we will see more people from all backgrounds play at a very high level and hopefully win slams.
Body Topic #3: How do you seek out community and stay connected to your cultural heritage while balancing the demands of being a student-athlete?
I talk! I believe that I am very open to talking with anyone and enjoy talking to as many people as possible every day. I hangout with people from every background or ethnicity possible.
Body Topic #4: What legacy do you hope to leave for future Black tennis players at your school or in the sport overall? What advice would you give to younger Black athletes who dream of playing college tennis?
I hope to prove that anyone can play tennis college. I was never really good as a kid but I kept on playing and here I am. I’m definitely not one of the best but let’s say that I think it’s kind of cool to play your favorite sport overseas representing your school. So I would like to say keep on chasing that dream!
