Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, winners at Flushing Meadows in 2023, took a group of 20 UAE kids through their paces on Tuesday morning.
The next generation of young tennis players in the UAE had a day to remember courtesy of the UAE Tennis Federation, Tennis Emirates, and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) who coordinated a coaching clinic featuring US Open doubles champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
On the sidelines of the ongoing Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, more than 20 youngsters aged between five and 10 from across the Emirates were taken through their paces by the doubles duo, who are seeded second at this week’s WTA 1000 tournament at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
Dabrowski of Canada and New Zealand’s Routliffe received a bye to the Round of 16 this week so will start their tournament on Wednesday. As such, they took the chance to spend a little of their free time coaching and rallying with the youngsters on a side court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The pair reflected on their own experiences of getting the chance to train with professionals when they were children.
“When I was a kid, it was always really fun to have a pro tennis player come to my club, so I think it’s really important to try and give back,” said Routliffe. “We are trying to make tennis more popular in the world and the best way to do that is to start with the kids.”
When asked what what she could recommend to children and their parents, Dabrowski said: “It is important to not specialise in a sport too soon and in fact play as many sports as possible in order to grow as an athlete.
“Also, it’s really important to introduce the doubles game to children while they’re young – that, for me, is crucial as it not only furthered me as a player, but really helped with my personal development.”
Established in 1983, Tennis Emirates’ mission is to promote the sport across the UAE, developing and nurturing national talent, and overseeing the organisation of all national and international tennis tournaments and events in the UAE.