Meet your Regional Representative for South America: Philippe Pinet, IC of Uruguay

Philippe Pinet’s life in tennis began long before he ever picked up a racket. Born into a family where the sport was woven into daily life, he grew up surrounded by its traditions and stories. On his father’s French side of the family, his grandmother had been a regional champion in Dijon, and his grandfather famously welcomed the French delegation that travelled to Montevideo in 1927 for an exhibition match. Tennis, quite simply, was part of the family heritage.

From an early age, Philippe progressed through every level of competitive junior tennis, competing in local, regional and South American tournaments across the under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18 categories. His junior career took him to some of the most prestigious events in the world, including the Sunshine Cup, the Orange Bowl, the junior events at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as the Trofeo Bonfiglio in Milan and the Copa Galea.

As a professional, Philippe competed in ATP tournaments around the world during the 1980s, achieving rankings of approximately 470 in singles and 370 in doubles. He also represented Uruguay in the Davis Cup and the Pan American Games, where he played as a competitor in Puerto Rico in 1979, and later returned as coach of the Uruguayan team at the Winnipeg Games in 1998.

Beyond his playing career, Philippe devoted many years to teaching and coaching tennis, and for nearly two decades managed a tennis club that balanced competitive squads, social tennis, cultural activities and a restaurant. It was also during this period, in 1998, that he helped introduce wheelchair tennis in Uruguay – an initiative that reflected his belief in the sport’s power to include and inspire. Since then, he has been managing the wheelchair tennis programme in Uruguay, in partnership with the national federation and the ITF.

Philippe has been a member of the IC of Uruguay since its early days in the 1980s. His involvement was almost inevitable: the IC’s founding members were drawn from longstanding tennis families, among them his own father.

What Philippe values most about the IC is its commitment to maintaining tennis in an amateur format that prioritises friendship, respect, fair play and an appreciation of the game’s history. He is particularly passionate about directing the IC of Uruguay’s philanthropic programme and helping it to grow and evolve.

Among Philippe’s most treasured memories are the IC anniversaries, when delegations from many countries have gathered in celebration, and the centenary of the IC of Great Britain at Wimbledon in 2024, which brought together members from around the world in a unique tribute to the Club’s heritage. “Above all, what I love most about the IC are the tours and events that are characterised by friendship, joy and a shared love of tennis among everyone taking part.”

Philippe has been the Regional Representative for South America on the IC Council since 2020, and is also the Vice-President of the IC of Uruguay. “I very much enjoy being the Regional Representative for South America because I have a lovely relationship with the people I work with from each IC, as well as decades-long friendships with many of the members. We share a special connection, with very similar concerns and realities, as tennis is for all of us a relatively young sport, without the long IC history found in Europe, the USA or Australia. I have also been fortunate to know the realities of these countries from a very young age, travelling to compete in junior tournaments there – and continuing to do so over many years.”

Outside tennis, Philippe is an entrepreneur and an agent for industrial companies in Uruguay – and as a guitar player and jazz music lover, he is also the Director of the Jazz Festival Montevideo.

You can connect with Philippe through his Instagram profile.