More than 800 children from 15 Dubai schools took to the courts at Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Stadium for the JP Morgan Kids’ Day, a much-loved annual fixture of the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships.
The children attended a dedicated tennis clinic hosted by the CF Tennis Academy and enjoyed a special meet and greet with WTA players Belinda Bencic and Barbora Krejcikova.
Amazed by the atmosphere and eager to learn more about tennis, the youngsters relished their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the sport from the pros.
World No.9 Bencic, the 2019 Dubai Champion and seeded eighth in this year’s tournament, took time out of preparing for her second-round match against Marta Kostyuk to pass on invaluable insight to the eager children. “When I was a child and attending a tournament, I always looked forward to the Kids’ Day and now as a player, it’s so nice to be able to give back and inspire the children to have fun and play such a great sport,” said the Swiss star, a seven-time winner on the WTA Tour.
The youngsters relished their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the sport from the pros
“I remember my time at the Zurich Open and getting autographs from the big players was so inspiring. I was already playing tennis at that age but meeting the stars motivated me to want to play at tournaments such as the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships.”
“We are excited to see the JP Morgan Kids’ Day back at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships post-pandemic,” said Khaled Hobballah, Senior Country Officer for the MENA region at JP Morgan. “This event has always been a highlight for us during the tournament, and it is fantastic to witness the children interact with the top-ranked players who take part in Kids’ Day. We are proud to sponsor such an impactful event, which gives so many children in the UAE the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new friends, and encourage them to continue to play the sport.”