Swiss Ace: From Center Stage to Center Court at Arizona State University

By: Dylan Pescatore and Kaneyl Carpenter, Cronkite Agency

She started singing right after she started talking. For Sun Devil tennis player Chelsea Fontenel, it was something she did at home, performing Alicia Keys’ “No One” and many other songs for her family to hear.

But it was at her local church where Fontenel’s voice started to spread to a bigger audience.

One day at a church event I was discovered by a professional singer. She told my parents that I had talent and that I should make more out of myself,” Fontenel said.

The sophomore from Basel, Switzerland, started to make a few trips to Germany where her rise to stardom took off. Fontenel’s parents drove the three-hour ride so their daughter could try out for “The Voice – Kids.” As part of the three-step audition process, Fontenel had to sing in front of judges, then in a recording studio, and then on prime time television.

Once Fontenel made it through the first two stages, the show paid for her and her family to travel to Berlin where it was time for the bright lights.

Nerves were not even on her mind for the eight-year-old Fontenel. It was just about enjoying the experience.

“From what I remember, I was just excited to put on my little dress, go on stage, and sing!” she said. 

Fontenel performed another Keys song, this time it was “Girl on Fire.” Two of the three judges immediately signaled that they were huge fans. The other judge took a few more moments amd then also signaled his interest to complete the clean sweep of all three judges. The videos of her performance on YouTube now have millions of views. Fontenel turned this appearance into more singing opportunities as she went on the Die Helene Fischer Show, another musical show in Germany.

Chelsea Fontenel: The Voice Kids

Music continued through Fontenel’s childhood and then, tennis started. Both of her parents were athletes - her dad played soccer and basketball in Canada, and her mom played volleyball for the Swiss National Team. Fontenel did ballet and played volleyball, but tennis is the sport that started to resonate with her. She started enjoying going to practice every day and it clicked in her mind that she could make a career out of it. By most standards, it was very early in her life.

“So I started doing the same thing, just getting better at my craft. When I said the goal was to do this full time, I was like eight or nine years old,” Fontenel said. 

Fontenel continued playing tennis, getting better, hoping to turn pro by 16 years of age. Those plans changed when a friend came back to Switzerland for the summer and told her about IMG Academy, a school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida. After that conversation, she went to a camp at IMG who immediately offered her a scholarship after seeing her on the court.

The pro dreams were put on hold as Fontenel crossed the Atlantic and enrolled at IMG.

Fontenel perfected her craft there, then committed to Arizona State where she is now in her second season. She went 16-5 as a freshman in singles, with a 17-9 overall record halfway through her sophomore year. Her accomplishments continued to be more impressive.

“I've been number one in my birth year, and now I'm top 25 Women's in Switzerland overall,” she said.

At Arizona State, Fontenel has been able to combine her two loves - tennis and singing. She is a Popular Music major at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. She has performed on campus where her teammates love to come and support her when she is on stage. She has even compared the two when it comes to the crowds.

“(In tennis) I can't really engage because I’m supposed to be focused on playing, whereas onstage it’s the other way around. The more you can sort of interact with the crowd, the more fun it is for everyone,” she said. 

She has continued her singing career throughout her YouTube page, where she produces her own music videos and has more than 3,000 subscribers.

Fontenel wants to continue singing, even as her tennis career progresses, and she is ecstatic to turn pro when her time as a Sun Devil comes to a close.

“Now that I'm not a junior anymore, I'm working my way up on the professional stage on the WTA. The long-term goal is obviously to not just play collegiate tennis, but to go pro,” Fontenel said.