Françoise Abanda facts for kids
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Abanda at the 2018 Wimbledon qualifying
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| Country (sports) |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Residence | Montreal, Quebec |
| Born | February 5, 1997 Montreal |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Turned pro | 2015 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $549,776 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 195–142 (57.86%) |
| Career titles | 3 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 111 (October 9, 2017) |
| Current ranking | No. 422 (July 18, 2022) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q2 (2017, 2018) |
| French Open | 2R (2017) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2017) |
| US Open | 1R (2014) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 26–32 (44.83%) |
| Career titles | 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 197 (September 8, 2014) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | 7–5 |
Françoise Abanda (born February 5, 1997) is a professional tennis player from Canada. She reached her highest singles ranking of 111 in the world on October 9, 2017. Her best doubles ranking was 197, which she achieved on September 8, 2014. As a junior player, she was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world on April 29, 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Françoise Abanda began playing tennis when she was seven years old. Her older sister, Élisabeth, had started playing two years earlier. Since 2009, Françoise has been training at Canada's National Training Centre in Montreal. Her parents, Blaise Abanda and Cecile Essono Ahibena, are from Cameroon. Élisabeth also played tennis professionally and later studied at Barry University.
Françoise Abanda's Tennis Journey
Starting Out: 2011–2012
In 2011, Françoise reached the third round of the junior US Open in singles. The next year, in May 2012, she made it to the third round of the junior French Open in singles and the quarterfinals in doubles. In June 2012, she reached the semifinals of junior Wimbledon in both singles and doubles.
Françoise played and won her first professional match in July at a tournament in Granby. She beat Jennifer Elie in the first round but then lost to fellow Canadian player Eugenie Bouchard. She also reached the doubles semifinals at that event. In August, she received a special entry (called a wildcard) into the Rogers Cup and won a match against Irina Falconi.
In September, Françoise won a big junior tournament in Repentigny. She was only the second player from Quebec and the fourth Canadian to win this title. She also reached the quarterfinals of the junior US Open in doubles. Later in 2012, she won the Pan American Closed ITF Championships, beating another Canadian, Carol Zhao, in the final. In October, she reached the doubles semifinals at tournaments in Saguenay and Toronto.
Overcoming Injuries: 2013 Season
Françoise returned to playing in March 2013 after a shoulder injury, but she lost in her first match. She made another comeback in August at the US Open, where she reached the second round of the junior event. The following week, she received a wildcard to play in the main doubles draw at the 2013 Challenge Bell. This was her first time playing in a main draw event on the WTA Tour, but she lost in the quarterfinals.
In October, Françoise played in two tournaments in Mexico. In the first, she reached the quarterfinals in singles and the semifinals in doubles. In the second, she won her first-round match. These tournaments helped her break into the top 400 in doubles rankings for the first time.
Later in October, Françoise made it to the quarterfinals in singles at a tournament in Rock Hill. At the end of October, she reached her first professional doubles final at the Saguenay Challenger. A week later, she won her first professional title in doubles at the Toronto Challenger, playing with Victoria Duval. She finished her season in December by reaching the quarterfinals at a tournament in Mérida.
First Singles Title: 2014 Season
In January 2014, Françoise won her first professional singles title at a tournament in Port St. Lucie, beating fellow Canadian Heidi El Tabakh in the final. In March, she almost made it into the main draw of a big tournament called the Sony Open Tennis. In April, she reached the final round of qualifying at a WTA event in Bogotá.
In May, Françoise reached her second WTA doubles quarterfinal at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. She also made it to the semifinals of a singles tournament in Maribor.
At the French Open in June, Françoise reached her second junior Grand Slam semifinal. A month later at Wimbledon, she was eliminated in the third round. In July, she reached her second professional singles final at a tournament in Gatineau. The next week, she made it to the semifinals of the Granby Challenger.
In August, Françoise received a wildcard to play in the Rogers Cup in her hometown of Montreal. She played a tough match against world No. 12, Dominika Cibulková, but lost. At the US Open later that month, she qualified for her first major Grand Slam tournament. She lost in the first round to world No. 27, Sabine Lisicki. In September, she played at the Coupe Banque Nationale and lost to her childhood idol, world No. 19 Venus Williams.
Team Canada and More Wins: 2015–2016
In February 2015, Françoise was chosen for the first time to represent Canada in the Fed Cup, a major international team competition. In April, she achieved her first win against a top-100 player, beating world No. 33, Irina-Camelia Begu, during a Fed Cup match against Romania. In May 2015, she won her second professional doubles title at the Charlottesville Classic with her partner, Maria Sanchez.
In March 2016, Françoise won her second singles title at a tournament in Irapuato. In August, she advanced to the second round of the Rogers Cup by beating world No. 66, Zheng Saisai. In September, she reached the second round of the WTA tournament in Quebec City for the first time. In October 2016, she won her third singles title at a tournament in Redding.
Big Grand Slam Moments: 2017 Season
In April 2017, during the Fed Cup against Kazakhstan, Françoise won both of her singles matches against highly ranked players. This helped Canada secure its spot in the World Group II for 2018.
In May, Françoise qualified for the French Open main draw for the first time. She won her first-round match but then lost to world No. 12, Caroline Wozniacki. At Wimbledon, she qualified for her second Grand Slam main draw in a row. She won her first-round match against world No. 94, Kurumi Nara, but was then defeated by the reigning French Open champion, world No. 13 Jeļena Ostapenko, in a close three-set match.
In August, Françoise qualified for the main draw of the big Western & Southern Open tournament. She beat her third straight top-100 player, Magda Linette, in the first round before losing in her next match. In September, she reached her first WTA quarterfinal at the Coupe Banque Nationale by winning two matches before losing to world No. 63, Tímea Babos.
ITF Circuit Finals
Françoise Abanda has had success in the ITF Circuit, which is a series of professional tennis tournaments below the main WTA Tour.
Singles Titles and Runner-ups
Françoise has played in 5 singles finals on the ITF Circuit, winning 3 titles and finishing as runner-up twice.
- Wins:
* January 2014: ITF Port St. Lucie, United States (Clay) * March 2016: ITF Irapuato, Mexico (Hard) * October 2016: ITF Redding, United States (Hard)
- Runner-ups:
* July 2014: ITF Gatineau, Canada (Hard) * January 2019: ITF Daytona Beach, United States (Clay)
Doubles Titles and Runner-ups
Françoise has played in 3 doubles finals on the ITF Circuit, winning 2 titles and finishing as runner-up once.
- Wins:
* November 2013: Toronto Challenger, Canada (Hard) with Victoria Duval * May 2015: Charlottesville Classic, U.S. (Clay) with Maria Sanchez
- Runner-up:
* October 2013: Saguenay Challenger, Canada (Hard) with Victoria Duval
Images for kids
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Abanda at the 2018 Wimbledon qualifying
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Abanda at the junior 2012 US Open
See also
In Spanish: Françoise Abanda para niños
