Fog hung over the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on Monday morning, but more than 400 schoolchildren still turned up for J.P. Morgan Kids’ Day at the start of the tournament’s ATP 500 week.
The pupils, aged between seven and 10, were led through a one-hour tennis session by Italian doubles players Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
Italy are the reigning Davis Cup champions and the pair put on a short exhibition for the students before moving into drills, with an emphasis on basic technique, teamwork and sportsmanship.
Ball kids then joined the session to run through parts of their own training routine for the championships, with players, coaches, teachers and pupils invited to keep up.
“It’s always rewarding to give back when we have the opportunity,” Bolelli said. “We used to be ball kids ourselves when we were younger, so these moments bring back many memories from my childhood.”
The event, held during the opening days of the two-week Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, has become a regular part of the tournament calendar. Cambridge International School attended with 80 students.
The school’s faculty leader for physical education, Srivani Pechetti said:
“This is our second time at this event, and the kids have had a grand time.”
Bolelli and Vavassori arrived in Dubai as two of the leading doubles players on tour, with four Grand Slam doubles titles between them and both ranked inside the world’s top 20.
Khaled Hobballah, J.P. Morgan’s senior country officer for Mena, said the firm was pleased to support the day again, describing it as a chance to help young people connect with the sport and with each other.
