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 towards a High 100 participant.
Regardless of falling to a 7-5, 6-2 defeat in Hangzhou, the 25-year-old Alhogbani’s efficiency towards 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 Growth Officer for the Saudi Tennis Federation.
“I performed Zhang, and I virtually took the primary set,” the No. 1 Saudi participant within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings instructed ATPTour.com on Saturday in Jeddah. “I used to be like, ‘If I’m virtually taking the primary set towards a man like this, there’s a good chance I can do properly with [full-time] coaching. I virtually took the primary set once I’m coaching three or 4 instances every week and with no coach’.”
Born in Saudi Arabia, Alhogbani and his household moved to the USA when he was three years previous. After rising up in Ohio after which Virginia, he performed school tennis on the College of Virginia, the place he was a part of a NCAA Championship-winning crew in his first 12 months. Attributable to quite a lot of causes, nonetheless, Alhogbani’s enjoying profession stalled after he graduated and returned to Saudi Arabia in 2021.
“After school I harm my wrist, originally of once I needed to make a push [up the rankings],” mentioned Alhogbani. “Then I received the position on the federation, in order that slowed it down. This 12 months, [I played] on the Asian Video games and another ITF occasions, once I had restricted coaching.
“My brother (fellow Saudi Davis Cup participant Saud Alhogbani) is now enjoying U.S. school tennis at Wake Forest, so I don’t actually have anybody to coach with. So I am going to Futures occasions and practice for the primary week. I’ve had some good outcomes, so I need 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 offered 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 high seed Arthur Fils to assist heat up the Frenchman forward of the championship match towards Hamad Medjedovic.
“I’ve hit with nearly all of the fellows [this week],” mentioned Alhogbani. “I hit with Arthur probably the most. It’s an excellent time. Clearly, they’ve totally different gamestyles. Some guys wish to be on high the baseline and bully me round, however I received to play a few units towards among the guys, in order that was actually cool.”
Dominic Stricker/Ammar Alhogbani/Arthur Fils” />
Alhogbani (centre) tossed the coin for the group-stage match between Dominic Stricker and Arthur Fils. Picture: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
As a giant 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 large strides throughout quite a lot of sports activities.
“This can be a enormous step. Clearly, we have now had [exhibitions] previously, however that is the primary ATP-sanctioned occasion, so that is one thing that’s actually large for us,” mentioned Alhogbani. “The sports activities business 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 youngsters get to see all of the gamers, and seeing it’s believing it. I believe it’s going to encourage plenty of the youngsters to return and play.”
‘If They Can Do It, I Can Do It’: Ballkids Impressed By Subsequent Gen ATP Finals In Jeddah
No matter the way forward for Saudi tennis, Alhogbani just isn’t prone to be the one member of his household enjoying a giant position. He competes alongside his 20-year-old brother Saud within the nation’s Davis Cup crew, and he additionally made historical past alongside his 19-year-old sister Yara Alhogbani at this 12 months’s Asian Video games.
“This time round was actually cool, as a result of I went with my sister,” mentioned Alhogbani, who first performed the Asian Video games as a 15-year-old in 2014. “We performed blended doubles, and that was the primary ever blended doubles crew from Saudi Arabia.”
Ammar Alhogbani” />
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 large, and it’s one thing that could be a dream, to make it greater,” he mentioned. “I’d like to see extra individuals on the whole selecting up racquets and see extra amenities… For me as a participant, I need to see Saudi tennis on the highest degree. I believe we’re all on the lookout for a participant to interrupt by, and simply extra of those occasions would assist with that.”