My UAE: Ahead of the game with rising teen tennis player Ali Al Marzooqi

The 17-year-old Emirati student and Rafael Nadal fan is a keen tennis player, who has ranked fourth in the UAE in the under-16 and under-18 categories.

Ali Al Marzooqi regularly practises his game and works out every day. Delores Johnson / The National

Ten years ago, when Ali Al Marzooqi was 7 years old, he recalls watching the television screen with bated breath, as Roger Federer knocked out Rafael Nadal in the Dubai Tennis Championships. His curiosity for the game was piqued. "I was really interested in Nadal's technique and how he plays. I kept telling my mum I want to play tennis like Nadal."

While his friends were all more interested in playing football, young Al Marzooqi signed up for tennis lessons at the Abu Dhabi Country Club, with a Tunisian coach. Now, 10 years later, Al Marzooqi is one of the UAE’s rising tennis stars.

“Right from the start, I wanted to be the best,” the 17-year-old explains. “I started really dedicating myself to this game when I was 10. I wanted to reach junior level and play tournaments, and I got the best ranking three years ago for the under-18 and under-16 categories – I was ranked fourth in the UAE.”

Al Marzooqi recently started studying for a degree in business administration and management at the American University of Dubai, and tennis is taking a back seat so he can focus on academic success. But Al Marzooqi still manages to cram in practice sessions at Zayed Sports City’s Tennis Academy at least three times a week, as well as daily 45-minute workouts at the gym near his family home, near Al Shahama.

Often, when Al Marzooqi is fielding volleys from coach Vasja Gorjup, he’s being cheered on from the sidelines by his 22-year-old sister Reem – the youngest of his seven sisters – who is a student at the American University of Sharjah and a tennis player herself. “She is the one who is always encouraging me to play,” says Al Marzooqi.

He admits that his friends were initially shocked when they came along to watch him play tennis. “Although I kept telling them I was a tennis player, until recently, they had only ever seen me playing video games,” he explains. “But they’ve come to watch me play a few times now, and they say that they think it’s impressive.”

Although tennis is not the most popular game among young Emiratis, Al Marzooqi isn’t the first Emirati tennis player with lofty ambitions to make it to the big time. Omar Behroozian, an Emirati from Dubai who is the captain of the national tennis team, has made it as high as number 805 in the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings. “Omar has an academy in Dubai, so I’ve played him a couple of times – he is following me to see my level and how I’m improving,” Al Marzooqi says.

Although Al Marzooqi is pleased with his serve and forehand techniques, he’s still working on perfecting his backhand. He also admits he’s had moments when his nerves have got the better of him on the court. “I struggled last year – I was so nervous playing matches, my mental game was not on point at all,” he says. “But I took advice from my mum. She said: ‘You have nothing to lose, just play. Even if you lose, at least you know you tried.’ I was building on that advice and I reached a couple of semi-finals and finals. I felt a huge difference when I got my nerves sorted. If you are tense and there’s a feeling of fear in the match, you won’t reach a higher level. But if you have confidence in your shots, you’ll reach your goals and play better tennis.”

Al Marzooqi still takes inspiration from the “King of Clay”, Nadal. Thanks to the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, which are held every December in Abu Dhabi, Al Marzooqi has had the chance to meet his idol “more than 10 times”. Every time he comes here, I go along to his meet and greets,” he says. “The first year [in 2009] my sister and I made a funny video of him, and he remembered me the following year.”

Al Marzooqi won the Mubadala Community Cup in 2014 and landed a place in a clinic with Nadal. He also met him once at Doha airport and at a tournament in Madrid. “He is a very humble guy, very down to earth and very interactive with his fans,” he says.

How do you celebrate a win?

I don’t show any emotions most of the time. If I reach a semi-final, I jump up and down, but there are no emotions in my first couple of rounds.

What’s your favourite sport, apart from tennis?

Football. I support AC Milan and FC Barcelona, too.

Which is your favourite cuisine or restaurant in the UAE?

I like to go to Zuma in Dubai, when I have time.

Where do you see yourself after 10 years?

Playing for the International Tennis Federation and slowly building up to playing at a professional level.

What music do you listen to?

Hip-hop and rock. I like Drake, and when it comes to rock, I’m a big fan of AC/DC.

Who is your favourite actor?

Tom Hanks. He stars in two of my favourite films: The Terminal, where he is stranded in an airport, and Cast Away, where he's stuck on a desert island.

If you were marooned on an island like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, what possessions would you like to have with you?

My phone, for sure, but actually personal items don’t mean that much, as long as I’ve got food and family with me.

What do you do to unwind after a game of tennis?

I like to play Fifa football video games. But I only have time to play video games at weekends, now that I’m at university.

Who inspires you?

Rafael Nadal, but also I like Roger Federer because he is the greatest tennis player of all time. I take on board advice from coaches as to how Nadal and Federer win their matches, using their mental strength.