Women's Tennis
Axel Damiens
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- AxelD@gators.ufl.edu
- Phone:
- 4600
Head Coach Per Nilsson announced the hiring of Axel Damiens as Florida’s associate head coach in May of 2025.
Damiens joined the Gators from the University of South Carolina, where he served as an assistant coach from 2022-24, and associate head coach for the 2024-25 season. While with the Gamecocks, Damiens helped USC to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
In his first season with the Gators, the Feucherolles, France native helped coach doubles tandem Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis to the NCAA Final Four. Dudeney and Gailis bested the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals of the tournament, earning All-America status in the process. They would go on to rank as high as No. 3 in the nation, and earn Second-Team, All-SEC honors.
In 2025-26, Damiens helped Florida to its 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance in 44 opportunities, going 17-8 overall, and finishing the year ranked 18th in the country.
Before his time at South Carolina, Damiens served as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania women’s tennis team in the spring of 2022, where he helped lead the Quakers to a 15-9 record, including a 5-2 Ivy League finish.
His coaching journey also included a stop at Florida State as a graduate assistant, where he helped secure a top-ranked recruiting class and coached the highest UTR-ranked player in college tennis at the time.
Damiens also spent time as a volunteer assistant coach with the Princeton men’s tennis program in 2019-20. The Tigers compiled a 14-4 record that season, highlighted by wins over Auburn, Arizona, and Penn before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A former standout student-athlete himself, Damiens competed for Cal Poly from 2014–18 and served as a student assistant coach during the 2018–19 season. He recorded 50 career singles wins—one of just five Mustangs to reach that milestone—and earned All-Big West Doubles First Team honors as a senior. His leadership helped propel Cal Poly to as high as No. 33 in the ITA national rankings.
Damiens also has professional playing experience on the ITF circuit and in France’s pro league.
Damiens joined the Gators from the University of South Carolina, where he served as an assistant coach from 2022-24, and associate head coach for the 2024-25 season. While with the Gamecocks, Damiens helped USC to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
In his first season with the Gators, the Feucherolles, France native helped coach doubles tandem Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis to the NCAA Final Four. Dudeney and Gailis bested the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals of the tournament, earning All-America status in the process. They would go on to rank as high as No. 3 in the nation, and earn Second-Team, All-SEC honors.
In 2025-26, Damiens helped Florida to its 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance in 44 opportunities, going 17-8 overall, and finishing the year ranked 18th in the country.
Before his time at South Carolina, Damiens served as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania women’s tennis team in the spring of 2022, where he helped lead the Quakers to a 15-9 record, including a 5-2 Ivy League finish.
His coaching journey also included a stop at Florida State as a graduate assistant, where he helped secure a top-ranked recruiting class and coached the highest UTR-ranked player in college tennis at the time.
Damiens also spent time as a volunteer assistant coach with the Princeton men’s tennis program in 2019-20. The Tigers compiled a 14-4 record that season, highlighted by wins over Auburn, Arizona, and Penn before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A former standout student-athlete himself, Damiens competed for Cal Poly from 2014–18 and served as a student assistant coach during the 2018–19 season. He recorded 50 career singles wins—one of just five Mustangs to reach that milestone—and earned All-Big West Doubles First Team honors as a senior. His leadership helped propel Cal Poly to as high as No. 33 in the ITA national rankings.
Damiens also has professional playing experience on the ITF circuit and in France’s pro league.
Thursday, February 12
Sunday, May 05
Saturday, May 04
Saturday, May 06
