Clemson Athletics Black History: Jean Desdunes
Jean Desdunes was the first Clemson African-American men’s tennis player to be inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame, an honor he received in 2009. Desdunes played on great Clemson teams from 1980-83. All four reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and had a final top 10 ranking under coach Chuck Kriese.
As a freshman in 1980, Desdunes had a 27-match winning streak, still the second longest streak in Clemson history. He was an All-American as a junior and a senior, and in 1983 was named the National Senior Player of the Year by the ITA. Desdunes finished is career with 157 singles wins and 153 doubles victories, still the only player in school history with at least 150 wins in both categories.