Rising Tennis Tracker · Player Dossier FRA

First Washington Husky to reach No. 1 in U.S. college singles

Clément Chidekh

Right-handed, two-handed backhand, turned pro in 2022 after starring for the University of Washington — and opened 2026 with back-to-back Challenger titles on the British indoor circuit.

Career-High Rank

No. 176

13 APR 2026

Current Rank

No. 189

20 JAN 2026

Age

24

B. 13 JUN 2001

Turned Pro

2022

ARLES, FRA

Career Trajectory

Surface Split

HARD
CLAY
GRASS
4 of 5 Challenger titles on hard courts No Challenger title on clay yet Nottingham grass champion, Jul 2026

Quick Facts

Birthplace

Arles, France

Coach

Matt Anger (ex-UW head coach)

Height

180 cm (5'11")

Plays

Right-handed

Backhand

Two-handed

Best Slam

1R — Roland-Garros, US Open

The Breakthrough

Chidekh took the American college route: three seasons at the University of Washington, where he became the first Husky ever to top the national singles rankings and finished 42–11 in singles. When he turned pro in 2022, UW head coach Matt Anger resigned to travel with him — a bet on a player few outside Seattle rated. The bet started paying out in Glasgow in February 2024, where Chidekh lost the first set of the final 0–6 to Paul Jubb and still walked off with his first Challenger trophy.

"The result is over my expectation but I have been working hard recently." — After his first Challenger title, Glasgow 2024 · ATPTour.com

January 2026 was the real surge. Ranked No. 248 at the turn of the year, he won the Nottingham indoor Challenger — beating top seed Johannus Monday in a final-set tiebreak — then returned to Glasgow the following week and won that too, a 10-match streak that lifted him back inside the top 200. A career-high No. 176 followed in April, his first Roland-Garros qualification in May, and a third title of the season on the Nottingham grass in July.

In His Own Words

"My first reaction, I was super proud and motivated."

ON COACH MATT ANGER LEAVING UW TO GUIDE HIS PRO CAREER, 2022 · THE SEATTLE TIMES

"Nothing has been easy to this point and each match has been satisfying."

AT THE ITA ALL-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2021 · GOHUSKIES.COM

"Really, the only ones who thought I was going to do this was my dad."

ON HIS COLLEGE-TENNIS RISE, 2022 · THE SEATTLE TIMES

Playing Style

Indoor hard-court strength Comeback wins in finals 10-match win streak (Jan 2026) College-forged match toughness Grass-court title winner
Sources: Wikipedia (Clément Chidekh · 2026 Lexus Nottingham Challenger · 2026 Glasgow Challenger · 2025 Moldova Open · 2024 Glasgow Challenger) · ATP Tour, "Clement Chidekh continues hot start to 2026, claims back-to-back Challenger titles" · ATP Tour, "From 0-6 to lifting the trophy, Clement Chidekh wins first Challenger title in Glasgow" (2024) · The Seattle Times, "UW men's tennis coach Matt Anger resigning to guide top player Clement Chidekh as pro" (2022) · University of Washington Athletics (gohuskies.com), player pages and news, incl. "Husky Tennis Great, Clement Chidekh, Qualifies for 2026 Roland-Garros" · TennisActu.net, Nottingham Challenger coverage, July 2026 · CoreTennis player profile.
Compiled from public match reporting and official tour data — no private or unpublished sources used.