Overcoming obstacles and naysayers has been a relentless theme for Aziz Dougaz, the Tunisian who’s considered one of simply two gamers from Africa within the High 250 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
The 26-year-old is having fun with a career-best season on the ATP Challenger Tour, the place he’s reached seven quarter-finals in 2023 and is hoping for an additional deep run this week in Calgary, Canada. To grasp how Dougaz has reached this level takes revisiting his previous.
“My path was like nobody else’s path that’s taking part in the identical tournaments I’m taking part in,” Dougaz advised ATPTour.com on the Calgary Nationwide Financial institution Challenger. “I feel I created my very own path in tennis and I pushed by way of the obstacles I confronted and I’ve much more obstacles to face to achieve my targets.
“I come from a metropolis in Tunisia that no one ever thought I may already be the place I’m now due to the obstacles. No cash, no coaches, no tournaments. Tennis was only for enjoyable and that’s it. No person thought that we may make it. I had no one to inform me, ‘That is the way in which, that is what we have to do.’ I used to be at all times going by way of the unknown and adapting to what involves me. I feel that’s a energy I’ve and I’ve to make use of it.”
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Dougaz finds further motivation in inspiring younger Tunisian children that they can also attain the professional stage, citing Malek Jaziri and Ons Jabeur as different key gamers in opening doorways for the subsequent technology. Jaziri hit a career-high No. 42 in 2019 and spent 5 years within the High 100 whereas Jabeur, a three-time main finalist, is at the moment No. 6 within the WTA Rankings.
“The concept of getting skilled gamers in Tunisia after I was child didn’t actually exist,” Dougaz mentioned. “However I feel now it’s rising lots. Malek had a tremendous profession and Ons now too, her influence is huge. I feel lots of people imagine in tennis far more now that they’ll make it.”
Dougaz witnessed skilled tennis first hand in 2005 when he was a ballkid on the Tunis Challenger, the place Gael Monfils downed Fabrice Santoro in an all-French last. “I keep in mind being at that match and it simply marked me. It was wonderful to see such wonderful gamers so shut,” he mentioned.
The lefty turned one of many High 50 juniors on this planet and spent three-and-a-half years at Florida State College, the place he earned ITA All-American honours. Regardless of critics advising Dougaz to pursue a profession outdoors of professional sports activities, his thoughts was set on attaining a dream.
“As a child I at all times believed tennis was going to be my job though no one round me besides my mother and father believed that,” Dougaz mentioned. “Everybody was like, ‘Yeah, tennis is nice. You’ll be able to go to varsity and have expertise however skilled in Tunisia is unattainable. We don’t have the cash, we don’t have the infrastructure, we don’t have a lot to struggle in opposition to the opposite nations.’
“Most individuals round me have been like, ‘What are you doing? Simply deal with college, you’re losing your time.’ I’m actually grateful my mother and father allowed me to maintain dreaming and didn’t take heed to all of the individuals who mentioned there’s no future in tennis.”
A memorable second for Dougaz got here this 12 months on the US Open, the place he was competing in qualifying together with his mother and father Ahmed and Mona in attendance.
“That was wonderful. I feel they have been tremendous pleased with me and for them it was a reward, a proud feeling of, ‘Our son is taking part in an enormous match like this and he’s profitable a match and he’s round the very best athletes there are in tennis,’” Dougaz mentioned. “They’re pushing me to realize extra as a result of they undoubtedly comprehend it’s the place I wish to go and that my aim remains to be distant from the place I’m proper now.”
Dougaz, who’s World No. 242 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is the highest-ranked Tunisian and simply considered one of 5 gamers from the African nation within the High 1,000. Although his path thus far has been removed from regular, Dougaz takes pleasure in his work.
“[I will] hold creating my very own path, all of us have other ways to get to a sure aim,” Dougaz mentioned. “I’m going to imagine in that and never suppose, ‘I didn’t have as many alternatives because the gamers I’m dealing with.’ I feel it’s a energy that I’ve confronted extra challenges and my path is totally totally different than the conventional man within the High 250.”
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