Former college tennis player Cedric Willems officially joins the Slamstox team! Cedric played college tennis for four years at the highest level in the US (NCAA Division 1) and has been very successful. He currently resides in Lincoln, Nebraska and is going to guide American players through their college recruiting process.
Interested in learning more about Cedric, his story, and his role at Slamstox? Keep reading!
Dutch National Champion
Cedric has always been a well-known player in the Dutch tennis-world: he won the Dutch national junior championships U18 in 2011 before he left to play college tennis. He was known as one of the biggest talents of his generation. With the spotlight of Dutch tennis shining upon himself, he was left a very important question: am I going to play professionally, or am I going to college to play tennis and get a good degree?
College Tennis
Cedric eventually decided to play college tennis after graduating from high school. He started his career at Clemson University in South Carolina. While at Clemson, he beat two-time grand slam champion Andreas Mies (Auburn University) and played in one of the strongest tennis competitions in college tennis (ACC).
After a year, Cedric decided to transfer to the University of Utah, led by Dutch tennis coach Roeland Brateanu. At Utah, Cedric reached the highest heights of his career. Hij made it to the semifinals of the ITA regionals in the Fall of 2014, played in the extremely strong Pac-12 conference against current pro players such as Mackie McDonald (UCLA), and was named captain of his team at the Utah Utes in 2015.
During his senior year, Cedric played at the #1 position in singles and doubles at Utah, reached the top 50 of the national ITA rankings, and gained a lot of experience on the court and as a leader off the court.
After his college career, Cedric played two more years in the highest Dutch national club league competition. He also obtained his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Amsterdam. He recently decided to move back to the US with his wife and newborn baby. Together with his family, Cedric lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. Time for a new era in his life!
Slamstox in the US
During the spring of 2022, Cedric was an assistant coach for the University of Nebraska, playing in the Big 10 conference. This has given him a lot of experience and insights from a coaching perspective and has brought him in close contact with many clubs, coaches, and tennis players from the US. Combined with the knowledge, resources, and the network of Slamstox, Cedric is the perfect man to roll out Slamstox’ ambtions in the US.
“During my time in the US I’ve had the opportunity to gain experience as a player and as a coach, at the highest level in the US. These experiences gave me a lot of good insights and provide me with a strong foundation to start working at Slamstox as a recruiter” says Cedric. “In the US it’s very common for tennis players to start their recruiting process at the age of 12. They are already looking at their dream universities from a very young age, but in many cases, they lack the knowledge and the network of a professional agency like Slamstox. I’m in an ideal situation to create the connection here. Slamstox is known as a very professional and trustworthy company in the US. Many coaches and universities enjoy working with Slamstox, and I’m excited to keep building on the path that Slamstox started.”
In addition to guiding American players throughout their process, Cedric is able to connect quickly with coaches and Slamstox player currently living in the US. He aims to make the services as easy and professional as possible.
Cedric had an incredible time at the University of Utah and even worked on his interview skills during his senior year:
Would you like to learn more about Cedric’s experiences, do you want to ask him a question or would you like to learn more about your chances to obtain a college tennis scholarship? Contact us and sign up for a free meeting!
