Emerging UAE tennis talents have experienced a glimpse into the life of top professional players during the UAE Tennis Clinic, held on the sidelines of this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Organised by the UAE Tennis Federation, Tennis Emirates, and the ATP – the world’s governing body for men’s tennis, the UAE Tennis Clinic saw more than 15 of the UAE’s most promising junior players put through their paces by Belgian duo, Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, holders of seven ATP tour doubles titles.
After engaging the youngsters on their lives as full-time tennis professional and seeing the homegrown talent in action during some mini doubles matches, Gille and Vliegen were left genuinely excited at the group’s potential future in the sport.
“We were extremely impressed; the kids’ energy was fantastic and when you see the kids smiling like that it’s always a positive start to any morning,” Gille said.
“Two of the young boys had incredible ball skills and showed a lot of potential. It’s hard to say if they will become professional tennis players, but I hope they do as the Tour’s popularity can only increase with more diversity among the player pool.”
Following a dedicated Q&A session with the children, Vliegen added: “It’s impressive to see the children practising up to six hours a day; that is what you need to become a professional tennis player. However, it’s also important to have a good balance. Kids should try to do as many sports as they can while they’re young – it’s vital they do not burn out at a young age.”
Established in 1983, Tennis Emirates’ mission is to promote tennis across the UAE, developing and nurturing national talent. The entity also overlooks the organisation of all national and international tournaments and tennis events in the UAE.