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| MY COMEBACK STORY Against All Odds  No one will ever know what guided Ronald in his decision to make a come back in the game at 33 years of age and ranked 790 in the world but one thing is for sure, the road he would have to take to be ranked among the top 100 players in the world again was going to happen the hard way, as no wild cards were given to him in any main draw ATP Tour events, including Challengers. Ronald had 5 points left on the computer when he started his quest by playing in the Northern California Satellite in 1997. He finished 5th, which helped his ranking rise from 790 to 523 in the world. The Satellite experience was a nightmare as Ronald faced the most difficult playing conditions : no umpires, no ball boys, no crowd, and there was not that much respect from the other players. This was very difficult for someone who was once ranked number 22 in the world and had played in the biggest stadiums in the world. The Fresno Bee newspaper, November 1997. Where it all started at the Northern California Satellite..  After the Satellite, Ronald decided to take 5 months off to regroup and recover from the emotional strain of having to start his tennis career all over again.In April 1998, he was on the road once again, helping Haiti win its 1st Group II Davis Cup match in 12 years of participation. Haiti defeated Cuba in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. That same year, Ronald played in the qualifying rounds of the ATP Tour event of Coral Springs, Florida, with the help of tournament director Marc Baron, who gave him his only wild card into the qualifications. Ronald took full advantage of the wild card. He qualified by winning 3 rounds, then won a round in the main draw, scoring 23 ATP points.
Ronald celebrating the Davis Cup win with Haiti against Cuba, 1998
 He followed up with a 22 matches winning streak, taking titles at Delray Beach, Vero Beach, and Boca Raton. With these wins, Ronald was able to break into the top 300. Ronald finished the year 1998 ranked 241 in the world, reaching the 1/4 finals at 3 Challenger events. At the beginning of the year of 1999, Ronald became very frustrated, as he would still not obtain any endorsements (Ronald was paying for the majority of his equipement since his comeback), and all of his requests for main draw wild cards all over the world were still denied, some tournaments did not even take the time to respond. That same year at the Key Biscayne Master Series, Ronald won 9 matches to access into the main draw : 7 in a prequalifying event and 2 in the actual qualifying event. Exhausted after those 9 matches in 6 days, Ronald lost in a the first round of the main draw. Despite those hurdles to access the big events, Ronald kept fighting with all his heart, and finally showed some great tennis again, reaching the 2nd round of the Estoril Open, defeating 2 top 50 ranked players, Alberto Martin and Fernando Vicente from Spain, to finally lose to eventual winner, Alberto Costa, also from Spain with 2 close tie breaks.
Ronald celebrating his 2nd Challenger win
 Ronald was able to compete at the French Open again were he was refused a wild card in the qualifying rounds in 1996. Ronald failed to qualify, losing in the last round of the qualifying event. Nevertheless, Ronald went on to win the Challenger event
of Furth, Germany, after coming from the qualifying draw. He also won the Challenger event of Contrexeville, France. Ronald finished his European tour by reaching the final of another Challenger event in Newcastle, England, losing to American Jeff Tarango 7/6 in the 3rd set, setting up a clash with a player known for his controversial behavior on the court. Ronald was not pleased with Tarango's comments in an English newspaper about how strange it was that at his age he was able to perform at that level. Tarango also made some racial comments on the court and was never fined by the officials. Ronald was ranked 102 in the world after this event, just 2 spots away from his original goal to get back in the top 100.The extensive travelling, the numerous matches and practices eventually led Ronald to a foot stress fracture in September 1999 that kept him away from the courts for several weeks.Ronald in action, winning the Challenger of Furth, Germany, after coming from the qualifications. June 1999.
 The sudden loss of his beloved mother Rolande, who passed away while competing at the US Open was another emotional battle. Ronald still managed to achieve his goal after reaching the semi finals at the Mission Hills Challenger in California. He was ranked 98 in the world at 35 years old. With this ranking at this age, he became the oldest player to finish the year in the top 100 since Jimmy Connors was ranked 84 at the end of 1991 at 39 years old. It took approximately 3 years and a significant amount of money for Ronald to make this come back. If he had been given main draw wild cards as majority of the other players on the Tour, perhaps his comeback would have taken a much shorter time.
(Left) Agenor-Tarango: The controversy, Newcastle, england, 1999 Tarango made some racial comments and was never fined by the officials.
(Left) Ronald and Tonya during the qualifying rounds of the US Open in New York.
Ronald was not even nominated for the annual ATP Tour award of " Comeback Player of the Year ", or " Most Improved Player of the Year ". Ronald was disappointed for not receiving official recognition for his outstanding comeback that has been viewed by many as something impossible to do at his age. This is the Politics of international tennis, but beyond the tennis performance, this comeback was the most important experience of his life. His determination should be an example for anyone who is willing to achieve his/her goals in life when stumbling blocks are put before them. It was Ronald's toughest moments in both his personal and professional life. He survived, Against The Odds... Ronald thank his wife Tonya for her extraordinary support during this comeback.
USA Today, June 2000
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