Daily Deuce: Young tennis fans learn the ropes at Kids’ Day

More than 750 schoolchildren from across the UAE took to the courts on Monday, the first day of play at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium to kick-start this year’s tournament.

Children from 13 schools enjoyed the WTA J.P. Morgan Kids’ Day which included a tennis clinic for all ages and skill levels, entertainment, photo opportunities and the chance to meet some top WTA players. The two-hour-long clinic was led by tennis coaches from the Clark Francis Tennis Academy who gave the kids an opportunity to learn about the sport and learn some new skills.

WTA players Kiki Bertens and CiCi Bellis were among the special guests and gave the kids tips on how to improve their game.

The children then enjoyed playing on Centre Court before welcoming former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber. Kerber joined in the fun, with some lucky children having a hit with her. Kerber then hit some autographed balls into the excited crowd.

The children were selected from the schools which had participated in the Partner Schools Programme run by the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this year.

“I just love doing the Kids’ Days, to play a little bit with the kids and to just meet them. It’s nice to meet kids from all over the world,” said Kerber. “I think it’s a great idea to introduce the kids to the game with us players because we can play a bit with them, showing them how great the game is and just having a good time together. The energy here was amazing; they were cheering and are having a lot of fun. For me as a player, it’s great to see the kids really enjoying themselves and to see how special it is for them.”

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Grandstand ticket prices for the WTA event start at Dh55 for opening rounds, to Dh735 for the ATP finals. Tickets are on sale at the box office, which is open from 9am to 9pm daily, and online on dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com.