In 1998, when he went to the Happy New Year Tournament in Chartres, Sébastien Lenoël was simply a tennis fan, practicing from an early age. But, after having spent a lot of time following this edition won by Justine Hénin, he joined the tournament organization team. It was the start of a journey that led him, 21 years later, to become chairman of the Eure-et-Loir committee on December 13, after the resignation of his predecessor, Jean-Pierre Lejeune. A resignation partly explained by the defeat of the outgoing president of the Center-Val de Loire League, Thierry Grandgeorge, supported by Jean-Pierre Lejeune.
For Sébastien Lenoël, the path therefore began with the 1998 Happy New Year Tournament in Chartres: “It was Jacqueline Brillant, then director of the committee, who first got me involved in the organization of the tournament, rewinds he. Then, before the next election, in 2000, she asked me to join the committee. Here he is treasurer of the Eure-et-Loir committee, a position he held until his election as president last December.
Absolute majority
For this physics professor at Sainte-Marie College in Chartres, nothing was premeditated. In 2002, he became director of the Happy New Year Tournament, “by default, he remembers. There were few volunteers, I was the only one who didn’t say no”.
At the time of taking the head of the committee everything was still done without calculations. “It was not my ambition to become president. My role as treasurer suited me.
Bio express :
Since 2002 : Director of the organization of the Happy New Year Tournament. With the organization since 1998.
2000-2021 : Treasurer of the Eure-et-Loir committee and member of the financial commission of the regional league.
Since December 2021: Chairman of the Eure-et-Loir committee.
–
But, during the resignation of Jean-Pierre Lejeune, I had a great reflection. I didn’t want someone I didn’t know well to become president. So I showed up and won. » By absolute majority. 13 votes out of the 25 members of the management committee, in the first round.
If he admits that he had “not thought, beforehand, about a precise program over four years”, the duration of his mandate, Sébastien Lenoël has nevertheless fixed some axes to follow. Retaining licensees, developing all tennis practices, supporting the Paris-2024 movement, helping clubs to structure, consolidate and professionalize… He also wants to see the Happy New Year Tournament “go upmarket”.
premium The TBA and other sporting events not to be missed in Eure-et-Loir in 2022
Player since he was ten years old (best ranking 15/3) Sébastien Lenoël has “never stopped” his sport. He appreciates players “who have a good technique, a good gesture” and “the atmosphere of a club or a tournament”. Above all, he “likes to take care of tennis a lot”, he confesses. To the point of sacrificing his Christmas holidays to organize the Happy New Year Tournament.
But, he easily admits: “If someone else wants to take the lead in the tournament, I could very well leave it to them. “While waiting for this contender, he remains at the head of the tournament which has been canceled for the past two years due to covid-19.
A large room for the TBA?
For the 30th edition of the Happy New Year Tournament in 2022, Sébastien Lenoël would like to welcome more spectators in a larger room in Chartres. Two options are on the table: the Halle Jean-Cochet or the hall of the La Madeleine complex. However, this requires additional costs and constraints, in particular to lay a resin pitch that meets the specifications.
–
Mathieu Brosseau
– .
