2015 Davis Cup runners-up Belgium have concluded a six-day training camp with up-and-coming UAE players at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
Thirty five highly-motivated juniors had the opportunity to learn from, and be inspired by the Belgians, as well as six top-200 players who accompanied the team during the session. The trip was facilitated by Belgium’s Hope and Spirit Foundation.
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The team’s selection of Zayed Sports City as a pre-season training location, further solidified the reputation Abu Dhabi has earned as an international tennis destination.
Throughout December, world number 19 Elina Svitolina has been hitting at the tennis stadium, which will host the Mubadala World Tennis Championship later this week.
As the largest and most professional tennis complex in the city, Zayed Sports City has been central in the increasing popularity of the sport. The site includes nine courts, which are open to the public, and offers programs for men, women, juniors and children through PSS Tennis Academy.
Providing high-quality coaching and facilities, the site has more than 100 high performance youth athletes, including an NCAA Division I scholar.
Zayed Sports City developed the largest community tennis tournament in the region, the Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup, which will take place in March.
World number 109 Ruben Bemelmans commented on the facility: “The courts at Zayed Sports City are nice. For a player, you notice the court plays at perfect speed. The weather obviously is a plus, with perfect conditions to prepare for professional players who go to Australia. I think it is a perfect accommodations to prepare as a professional tennis player and to practice as a child here, especially with world-class coaches.”