Stéphane Houdet, Aiming for Gold

A Veterinarian with a Passion for Sports

Stéphane Houdet was born on November 20, 1970 in Saint-Nazaire, in the Loire-Atlantique region of France, and started playing tennis at the age of 8. He enrolled in the National Veterinary School in Nantes in 1990 and successfully obtained his degree in 1998. Yet in 1996, a motorbike accident in Austria left him unable to use his left knee. With characteristic resilience, he turned his back on tennis and dedicated himself to golf, reaching French and European number one on the parasport circuit.

A Game-Changing Encounter

In 2004, Stéphane met soccer legend Johan Cruyff, whose foundation focuses on supporting sports programs for disabled children. Cruyff encouraged him to take up tennis again. He immediately showed his skills by winning his first tournament and taking home a gold medal in the men's doubles at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Following this achievement, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor. Stéphane went on to win bronze in the men's doubles and silver in the men's singles in London 2012, followed by another gold in the men's doubles in Rio 2016. Since the beginning of his professional career, he has won 23 Grand Slam tournaments, of which 4 in the singles event and 19 in the doubles. He has also been ranked  number one in the world in both categories.

An Outstanding Ambassador

At CORIMA, we have always worked hand in hand with our athletes, using almost half a century of carbon fiber expertise to develop wheels that will allow them to excel in their chosen discipline. Stéphane Houdet was instrumental in helping us design a light, stiff 4-spoke wheel with an integrated handrail. The entire piece is made from carbon, the perfect material to meet the demands of tennis players who want to move as fast as possible on the court.

And while Stéphane is already considered a golden athlete by our nation and will be one of the French flag bearers in Tokyo, his personal goal is of course to take home gold in the men's singles, completing his Olympic collection and adding to his already outstanding record. He will also be on court to defend his title in men's doubles. CORIMA wishes him the very best of luck to achieve his dreams. Don't miss the wheelchair tennis events held from August 27 to September 4. See you there!