Men's Tennis Inks Pair of Prominent Transfers to 2025-26 SquadMen's Tennis Inks Pair of Prominent Transfers to 2025-26 Squad
Edward Finan / UCF Athletics

Men's Tennis Inks Pair of Prominent Transfers to 2025-26 Squad

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - A second season that topped a historic first year under head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess and assistant Kareem Allaf has firmly set expectations for the UCF men’s tennis team.

Just a week removed from the program’s first NCAA Super Regional appearance, the Knights have announced the addition of two prominent transfers ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. France natives Clement Lemire (Oregon) and Wissam Abderrahman (Clemson) will arrive in Orlando this fall to bolster a strong roster as the squad embarks on the new season.

Clement Lemire | Sophomore | Toulon, France | Oregon

The Toulon, France, native reeled in Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors back in February after a dominating display across a pair of non-conference bouts against Denver and USTA. 

During league play, Lemire split time between each middle court, authoring a court-three triumph against Nebraska’s Nikolay Sysoev and a court-four victory over Michigan State’s Vuk Radjenovic. 

His inaugural collegiate campaign featured an impressive six-match singles win streak, not dropping a set over that span and outscoring the opposition 85-35 with prominent wins over BYU’s Tygen Goldammer and New Mexico’s Daniil Kakhniuk.

In doubles, the Frenchman tallied an 11-10 record with a 7-6 clip on court two and a 4-4 record on three. Teaming up with Vlad Breazu for the majority of Big Ten contests, the tandem tallied wins over Nebraska, Indiana and Northwestern in the anchor position.

As a junior, Lemire claimed ITF titles in Barcelona, Lyon and Dijon. A doubles title at the Roland Garros Juniors Championships in 2023 was followed by a run to the singles semifinals in the 2024 edition.

We’re excited to welcome Clément to our program. Despite already having a year of college experience, he’s still just 18 and brings tremendous potential. He arrives as one of the top juniors in France and has already proven himself at the collegiate level, posting a winning record in both singles and doubles in the Big Ten. He’ll be a valuable addition to an already strong team.

Bruce-BurgessHead Coach

Wissam Abderrahman | Junior | Paris, France | Clemson

A staple on the front three courts for the Tigers of the past two seasons, Abderrahman has consistently battled against the nation’s best during his time at the ACC program. The rising junior jumped out to an 11-1 record across his first 14 dual matches.

Collecting strong wins against South Carolina’s Casey Hoole and Illinois’ William Mroz on court two, Abderrahman provided Clemson a consistent force at the top of the lineup.

His inaugural campaign saw him climb to 75th in the ITA rankings after having been tabbed 51st in the preseason edition. An ACC Freshman of the Week honor highlighted a promising first collegiate season, boasting a 15-9 singles record.

In 2024, Abderrahman collected victories against Wake Forest's Dhakshineswar Suresh and Duke’s Pedro Rodenas. He’s also formed strong doubles partnerships on court three, securing a 5-2 record during conference matches this season.

Prior to his time in the United States, he was ranked as high as No. 84 in the junior ITF rankings, notching a pair of 15k tournament wins. The Frenchman was also among the top 1,000 in the world in the ATP world rankings.

Wissam brings a wealth of experience to our team, having proven he can compete at both the professional level and in top positions at the collegiate level while at Clemson, where he also earned national rankings. His experience and drive to improve stood out throughout the recruiting process, and we’re excited to see how his game develops with us here.

Bruce-BurgessHead Coach