When Ammar Alhogbani stepped on court docket to tackle Zhang Zhizhen on the Asian Video games in September, it was extra than simply a possibility for the Saudi Arabian to show himself in opposition to a High 100 participant.
Regardless of falling to a 7-5, 6-2 defeat in Hangzhou, the 25-year-old Alhogbani’s efficiency in opposition to Chinese language star Zhang made him realise he was able to make a full-time return to skilled tennis after time away working as Nationwide Groups Improvement Officer for the Saudi Tennis Federation.
“I performed Zhang, and I nearly took the primary set,” the No. 1 Saudi participant within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings advised ATPTour.com on Saturday in Jeddah. “I used to be like, ‘If I’m nearly taking the primary set in opposition to a man like this, there’s a good chance I can do nicely with [full-time] coaching. I nearly took the primary set after I’m coaching three or 4 instances per week and with no coach’.”
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Born in Saudi Arabia, Alhogbani and his household moved to the US when he was three years previous. After rising up in Ohio after which Virginia, he performed faculty tennis on the College of Virginia, the place he was a part of a NCAA Championship-winning staff in his first yr. Attributable to a wide range of causes, nevertheless, Alhogbani’s enjoying profession stalled after he graduated and returned to Saudi Arabia in 2021.
“After faculty I harm my wrist, initially of after I wished to make a push [up the rankings],” stated Alhogbani. “Then I obtained the position on the federation, in order that slowed it down. This yr, [I played] on the Asian Video games and another ITF occasions, after I had restricted coaching.
“My brother (fellow Saudi Davis Cup participant Saud Alhogbani) is now enjoying U.S. faculty tennis at Wake Forest, so I don’t actually have anybody to coach with. So I’m going to Futures occasions and practice for the primary week. I’ve had some good outcomes, so I wish to give it a full shot within the coming years, simply to see how far I can take it on the court docket.”
Discovering hitting companions has been much less of an issue for Alhogbani this week on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals introduced by NEOM, the place the Saudi has practised with a number of of the opponents on the season-ending 21-and-under occasion in Jeddah. On Saturday, he hit with prime seed Arthur Fils to assist heat up the Frenchman forward of the championship match in opposition to Hamad Medjedovic.
“I’ve hit with nearly all of the fellows [this week],” stated Alhogbani. “I hit with Arthur probably the most. It’s an excellent time. Clearly, they’ve totally different gamestyles. Some guys prefer to be on prime the baseline and bully me round, however I obtained to play a few units in opposition to among the guys, in order that was actually cool.”
Alhogbani (centre) tossed the coin for the group-stage match between Dominic Stricker and Arthur Fils. Picture: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
As an enormous advocate of Saudi tennis, Alhogbani is delighted to have been a part of the primary ATP-sanctioned occasion in his homeland. He sees it as a milestone second for tennis in a rustic making massive strides throughout a wide range of sports activities.
“This can be a big step. Clearly, now we have had [exhibitions] previously, however that is the primary ATP-sanctioned occasion, so that is one thing that’s actually massive for us,” stated Alhogbani. “The sports activities trade is booming, and soccer has been king right here for therefore lengthy. Now tennis is a precedence sport, so having tennis on the forefront and having this occasion simply goes hand in hand.
“It’s actually cool. The children get to see all of the gamers, and seeing it’s believing it. I believe it’s going to encourage a whole lot of the children to return and play.”
No matter the way forward for Saudi tennis, Alhogbani will not be more likely to be the one member of his household enjoying an enormous position. He competes alongside his 20-year-old brother Saud within the nation’s Davis Cup staff, and he additionally made historical past alongside his 19-year-old sister Yara Alhogbani at this yr’s Asian Video games.
“This time round was actually cool, as a result of I went with my sister,” stated Alhogbani, who first performed the Asian Video games as a 15-year-old in 2014. “We performed combined doubles, and that was the primary ever combined doubles staff from Saudi Arabia.”
Yara Alhogbani and Ammar Alhogbani at September’s Asian Video games in Hangzhou. Picture courtesy of Ammar Alhogbani.
With so many current groundbreaking moments for Saudi tennis, Alhogbani hopes his household’s on-court achievements and internet hosting the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals could be a start line for continued improvement.
“Clearly tennis tradition right here isn’t so massive, and it’s one thing that may be a dream, to make it greater,” he stated. “I might like to see extra folks typically choosing up racquets and see extra amenities… For me as a participant, I wish to see Saudi tennis on the highest stage. I believe we’re all searching for a participant to interrupt via, and simply extra of those occasions would assist with that.”
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