Pete Sampras believes the first step to producing tennis talent in the UAE should be building a national centre that can act as a hub for the sport in the region.

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Sampras, who made his first-ever visit to Dubai last weekend when he participated in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), has been critical of American tennis of late, claiming it will take a long time before his country can return back to its glory days in the sport.

But while he is not currently optimistic about tennis in the US, Sampras sees plenty of potential for growth in the Middle East and the 14-time grand slam champion says having a facility to nurture talent is essential.

“You need a facility, like an academy to bring [together] all the great athletes from around the region,” Sampras told Sport360°. “You can get good coaching, good technique, good information – from nutrition, to weightlifting, everything. Just develop an arena to build champions. And that’s a start.

“And from there, you hopefully find a couple of good young pros who have some talent and you help them throughout the years and hopefully you’ll find someone that’s great.”

Tennis Emirates, the federation governing the sport in the UAE, have recently stated that plans for building a national tennis centre were in the works, but no details have been revealed regarding the location or timeline for the completion of the project.

At the moment, Al Nasr Club provides a couple of courts for the national team players to use but there is no official venue dedicated to the training of local talent.
 

There is only one player ranked in the ATP at the moment, that is Omar Behroozian, who lies at No1,847 in the world.
On the junior level, three boys – Fahad and Fares Al Janahi and Abdulla Ahli – are between No1429 and 2324 in the world, while no girls are currently ranked.