Dubai, UAE:  Tennis Emirates (TE) and the Spanish Tennis Federation (STF) signed today a cooperation agreement between the two associations which will allow the national junior and senior team players to practice at the Madrid Tennis Federation’s (MTF) headquarters - the famous “Magic Box”, venue of the Madrid Masters.

Attending the press conference during the ITF Junior Tennis Championships currently hosted at The Aviation Club Nasser Al Madani, Director of the Technical Committee of Tennis Emirates and Mr. Miguel Diaz, Vice President of the Spanish Tennis Federation and President of the Madrid Tennis Federation call this a historic day for both sides. “We are honored to partner with one of the top tennis nations in the world and I am sure that our players will tremendously benefit from this opportunity. Secondly, the agreement is a reflection of the strong cooperation between the UAE and Spain on the political scene,” states Al Madani. “The ‘Magic Box’ is a tennis player’s dream and for us to call this our national training center in Spain is a dream come true. Now we just need a direct flight connection from the UAE to Madrid, and it looks like this will happen very soon, too.”

“We have realized that we, as far as the Spanish Tennis Federation is concerned, have a responsibility to grow the sport of tennis and we are delighted to partner with the UAE Tennis Association and to pass on some of our experiences and resources to help develop their players. Therefore, the STF has given its recommendation to dedicate the new Magic Box tennis center, the venue for Madrid Open 1000, with 21 tennis courts (clay, hard and covered courts) and all the required facilities for tennis development, an avant-garde tennis center with spectacular design.

The United Arab Emirates is making big efforts in promoting international sporting events, including tennis, but I consider local players and tennis structure development most important as it will help the country to have better players and coaches to guide the country to improve on the international level.

Our proven know how in the ATP and WTA tours with very experienced coaches and professional teams, dedicated for continuous coaching training and high competition, will share their knowledge and achieve better results in coordination with UAE players and coaches through this agreement . For our organization, it will be a great honor to work with Tennis Emirates in the UAE,” says Diaz.

The agreement marks also the first success story of the new marketing agreement between TENNIS EMIRATES and MEDIAPRO Middle East (MPME). MPME, the marketing and management partner of TE will develop the cooperation with the Spanish Tennis Federation through specific player exchange programs, training camps and coaches development programs.

“The collaboration with one of the top tennis nations will give all of our upcoming projects great credibility. I am excited to see this partnership get started and I am convinced that the UAE players are the ones benefitting the most. If we want to develop a top Arab tennis player in the UAE, then we now have a chance to learn and observe what is needed to reach international standard. TE and MPME have promised to assist the UAE talents in their ambitions but now it is up to them to show that they are committed as well.” said Eric Gottschalk, CEO of MPME.

MPME in collaboration with S-Consulting (SC), the marketing partner of MTF, will also develop a sponsorship and hospitality program which will be extended mainly to Spanish companies to enter the market in the UAE and for UAE brands trying to enter the Spanish market. “To invite key clients, attend a top notch coaching clinic and watch the Madrid Masters live, is just one of many possible benefits we will extend to our partners,” states Gottschalk.

TENNIS EMIRATES had recently unveiled its new strategy to develop tennis in the UAE which will now include for players to train and compete under the supervision of Spanish national coaches in Spain.

The Spanish tennis school system is known for its structured development program for coaches and trainers. The Spanish concept requires coaches to pass entry level exams before being admitted into Spanish certification courses. The program requires all coaches to participate in classroom lectures, practical on-court training plus taking written and practical exams. Furthermore, coaches are required to renew their certifications regularly through their participation in workshops and coaching courses.

“Players are required to register with the federation and to compete in a minimum number of tournaments each year in order to receive maximum support from the federation. Based on the results of the players, the federation will place the players in special coaching groups and will extend on-court training, medical assistance, physical and mental coaching through their full time coaches to prepare the players for their next competitions,” explains Rascon. “The concept of constant evaluation and healthy competition among the players for a spot on the elite teams has raised the bar of Spanish tennis in the recent year.”
“The Spanish system for coaching development and high performance training is well recognized all over the world (just look at their players: Nadal, Verdasco, Ferrer, Robredo, Lopez, etc.) and we feel confident that through this partnership our players are well taken cared off when they train in Spain. We now have a home away from home which allows the perfect combination: train at a fantastic facility and have a chance to compete in tournaments which have a strong international level for juniors and adults,” states Slah Bramly, Technical Director of TE.

The partnership includes also the exchange of wild cards for junior and adult competitions if and when required. “Our players will get help to enter into some competitions which they normally would not qualify for due to their international rankings. Unfortunately, there are not many opportunities in the UAE and the GCC for our players to gain the much needed ranking points and experience, so this will give them the much needed break to make up some ground,” says Bramly.

The UAE Ranking Circuit, also receives a huge boost through the partnership as the top two players of the UAE season ending Master events in each age category will be invited for the two-week training camp in Spain at the MTF home facility, the “Magic Box”.

“The players now have a real incentive for competing in the ranking events. The UAE Ranking Circuit includes competitions for juniors under 12, 14, 16 and 18. Each event awards ranking points to the players and the top 8 players with the most points at the end of the season will qualify to play the Masters. From the pool of talents we will then take the top finishers to train in Spain,” explains Bramly. “The ranking circuit is open to local and expatriate players alike as we believe that we can raise the level of play and the standard of the UAE players only by making sure that all players in the UAE are able to participate in our national tournaments.”

Following the signing ceremony, Diaz and Rascon will get a good impression of the current talent in the UAE, as they will watch some matches of UAE players competing in the currently ongoing ITF Tennis Championships at The Aviation Club before visiting some of the key tennis facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.