Chapeau! Cherbourg Challenger Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Anytime there’s an ATP Challenger Tour event in France, the local fans flock to watch world-class tennis. The Cherbourg Challenger, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week, is a case in point.

The longest-running French Challenger has been a staple of professional tennis for three decades. Year after year, spectators have enjoyed seeing some of the sport’s stars before they became household names.

The Challenger Cherbourg La Manche is also the longest-running indoor Challenger and has featured past champions such as former World No. 4 Sebastien Grosjean [1999 champion] and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals winner Grigor Dimitrov [2011]. In 2003, Rafael Nadal was a finalist (l. Sergio Roitman) just two years prior to winning his first Grand Slam title just three hours east in Paris.

That’s what the Challenger Tour has taken pride in its 45-year history: Providing tournaments for young stars to gain pro experience and develop their skills all while competing for points and prize money.

There are no handouts on Tour. Hard work is required as players travel weekly across the world. Even Novak Djokovic worked his way through the Challenger circuit, including in Cherbourg, where he reached the semi-finals in 2005. Now, the Serbian is a 22-time major champion.

The Challenger Cherbourg La Manche is the seventh-longest-running Challenger tournament. The organisers, Alain and Anthony Thiebot, take great pride in their consistent presence on the Challenger Tour. Alain founded the event and initially directed the tournament until his son Anthony took over in 2020. Alain is still heavily involved in running the tournament to this day.

“More than 30 years ago, the French Tennis Federation called my father because there was the need to create a Challenger Tour event to help in the lead up of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 tournament,” Anthony told ATPTour.com. “In just a few months, my father gathered a team and he organised the first edition of the Challenger Cherbourg La Manche. The team was composed of volunteers, friends and family. As everyone enjoyed the experience, we decided to continue year after year.”

When asked about what has kept this tournament running for a trio of decades, Anthony was clear: hard work, relationships, and memories made over the past 30 years.

“I think that the main motivation is for the volunteers working at the event, because we like to stay together and reunite during the lead-up and the event itself,” Thiebot said. “We know it is really hard work in the months prior to the beginning of the tournament, but we experience so many good moments during the tournament that we really want to continue year after year.

“The friendship with the players over the years, for example with Kenny De Schepper, who is in his 15th edition, or Alexandre Sidorenko, who participated for 14 times. My father once said that Alexandre is like a second son to him. I have no siblings but I always dreamed to have a sister or a brother. Eventually with Alexandre we now call each other ‘bro’. It’s a special bond you develop with the players and to see them grow, both on and off the tennis court, is so special.”

Challenger Tour Colleagues Extend Their Congratulations

Vancouver Challenger tournament director Rik De Voest, who won Cherbourg in 2005: “Congratulations to Cherbourg Challenger on their 30th anniversary of providing world-class tennis to their community, an impressive achievement. As a former player of the event, my first ever match experience in Cherbourg was in 2003 and was against a young player by the name of Rafa Nadal! I lost in three sets. I had success in doubles that year, winning the title by saving I believe close to seven match points in the final.

“I returned in 2005, arriving late on Tuesday (due to playing in a final the week before), without too many expectations. I would go on to win the singles title, my first Challenger singles title. You always remember your first title, and this one holds a special place for me, and allowed me to establish myself on the Challenger tour.

“From one tournament director to another, I wanted to wish Anthony Thiebot and his team continued success in their long-standing, established event.”

Former World No. 10 and 2009 Cherbourg champion, Arnaud Clement, who is now tournament director of the Aix-en-Provence Challenger: “I have many very good memories at the historic Cherbourg challenger, where I won my one and only Challenger title. I congratulate the longtime tournament director Alain Thiebot, for these 30 editions and to Anthony Thiebot for taking over as director. I wish a long life to the Cherbourg Challenger!”

Frenchman Alexandre Sidorenko, who reached a career-high 145 and is a longtime friend of the Thiebot family: “I first played here in 2003, when I had a wild card in qualies. The tournament director, Alain, was one of my sponsors. We had a good relationship after that. I also played doubles with his son Anthony. Since that, I came back every year. The tournament helped me get a lot of experience. And our families became great friends over the years. As soon as I retired, I kept helping them with the organisation of the event. We are like a family and I’m always happy to come back here. It’s very special.”