Dubai: A very special person turns 42 today.
While tennis fans in the UAE and the world over are familiar with the antics of the likeable Mohammad Lahyani, not many may be akin to what Kader Nouni brings to the table.
Nouni, who has been officiating at the annual Dubai Tennis Championships for the past nine years now, last year came in for rave reviews due to his deep baritone voice on court.
Known for his ‘smiling assassin’ tag, the Swedish Lahyani is officiating at the ongoing Rio Open presented by Claro in Brazil. But move over Lahyani, here is Frenchman Nouni who has eased himself on-court with his honeyed voice while being termed by the English media at last year’s Wimbledon as the “Barry White of tennis”.
The sweet-smiling umpire — who turns 42 on Friday — first attracted attention during Johanna Konta’s gripping second round match against Donna Vekic, with spectators showing their appreciation for his voice and its similarity to the late Grammy Award crooner, White. This has turned the Frenchman into something of a celebrity within the tennis world and he seems to adapt to his status as one of the coolest umpires in the business.
His presence has been further felt especially in this part of the world as Nouni resembles a certain Mohammad Salah — the Liverpool and Egyptian star who is among those tipped to make an impact at the 2018 Fifa World Cup later this summer.
“I really don’t know much about him [Salah], but it would be a great thing to see my lookalike play in the World Cup. I follow some of the big clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint Germain,” Nouni told Gulf News in-between centre court duties at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
“But in the end I am only a tennis umpire and I want to be remembered for being fair and upholding the rules of the sport.”
Nouni’s parents moved to France from Algeria in the early 1970s, much before he and his brother Miloud were born. Now living with wife Melanie and his four-year-old son Oscar in Perpignan in Southern France, Nouni began his umpire career when he was 15 at his local tennis club. Within a year, he was a linesman at the French Open after which he went on to become a professional referee at ATP and WTA tournaments from 2005.
His love for Dubai has grown over the years. “I love this place,” he said. “The weather is awesome here especially in February when this tournament happens, while it is still very cold in France. The other advantage is that the venue is so compact, the hotel and stadium is walking distance and everyone simply loves that part of this event.
“I have no plans to stop coming here.”
FACT FILE
Name: Kader Nouni
Date of birth: February 23, 1976
Place of birth: France
Age: 42 years
Wife: Melanie
Son: Oscar
Career:
1991: Started as linesman when he was 15
1992: At 16 made debut at French Open as linesman
2005: Turned professional as referee at ATP and WTA tournaments
