This Dubai tennis tournament builds Grand Slam winners

Dubai Marina was not bristling with life in 1998 when Khaled Al Ali, former board member at the UAE Tennis Federation, attended the inaugural edition of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in the backyards of Habtoor Grand Resort.

In these 25 years, this Dubai district has undergone a majestic transformation, attracting millions of tourists with its luxury yachts, the grandeur of its restaurants and the gleaming skyscrapers.

During the same period, the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge has quietly gone from strength to strength, inspiring talented youngsters to reach for the stars.

There is no loud noise from fans, only a handful of them cheering for the players from the stands.

You can hear the thud when the ball bounces off the strings as players move and slide on the court for a point.

These players are not just jostling for a set point or a match point, they are also fighting for a shot at reaching the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of every new season.

Every year, the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge becomes a stepping stone for future stars.

This is where Jelena Jankovic, a former world number one, tasted one of her early successes by winning the singles title at the age of 18 in 2003.

The honours board also includes names like Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon singles champion, Sania Mirza, Peng Shuai and Belinda Bencic — players who went on to carve a niche of their own.

But for Khaled Al Ali, the impact of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge could never be put into words.

“When this tournament began in 1998, there was no professional tournament for ladies in the Arab world because it was difficult to build a women’s tennis tournament in this part of the world,” Khaled told the Khaleej Times.

Now as the 26th edition of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge begins on Monday, Khaled paid glowing tribute to the man who built this tournament, Khalaf Al Habtoor.

“Mr Habtoor, founder and chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, is a tennis lover. He always wanted to give an opportunity for upcoming players to make a mark in the sport,” Khaled said.

“Women’s tennis started in the region from the Habtoor Tennis Challenge. Then the Dubai Duty Free (women’s event) Tennis and the Qatar Open started. But it was Habtoor tennis that opened the door for women’s tennis in the Arab world.”

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