For more than a decade, Tunisian Malek Jaziri and Egyptian Mohamed Safwat have been the leading Arab players on the men’s tennis tour, but a new protagonist has emerged from the region, looking to make his way to the top of the sport.
Lebanon’s Hady Habib only kickstarted his professional career in earnest mid-last year, after graduating from Texas A&M University in May. In his final months as an 'Aggie', Habib was the No 1-ranked college tennis player in the United States – a fitting way to close the door on one chapter of his career before starting a new one in the pros.
Since graduation, the 23-year-old Habib has picked up four ITF titles, including one at a $25k-level tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, where he defeated in the final former top-30 player Lukas Rosol, who famously beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012.
“It gives you incredible belief,” Habib told The National after clinching the trophy last Sunday. “I actually watched him a few years back play against Rafa and beat him on TV, and it's just a pleasure to play him. And winning is huge.
“His level obviously isn't at his prime right now. But still, he knows how to play and he's got experience, so it's definitely a huge win for me, giving me some good confidence for the rest of the year.”
Habib was born in Houston, Texas before moving to Lebanon with his family at the age of six. He got introduced to tennis at Mtayleb Country Club in Beirut when he was nine after dabbling in swimming and basketball.
“I just started playing tennis and I got good at it really fast,” Habib said. “I was really enjoy playing so I gave it a shot and I kept playing and that eventually turned into true love for the sport.
“My parents actually told me, ‘Is this what you want to do? Is tennis your thing?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, 100 per cent this one I want to do’ and that's why we decided to move out of Lebanon.”
After eight years in Lebanon, Habib returned to the US, first training in California before heading to Nick Bollettieri’s IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
As a 16-year-old, he was ranked as high as No 77 in the world junior rankings, which helped him catch the eye of college recruiters. He eventually landed a scholarship in his home state and began his college tennis career at Texas A&M while pursuing a degree in sports management.
In 2018, Habib felt like he was ready to take the leap to the pros and left university, only to return a year later, keen to finish what he had started.
“I was travelling alone and just honestly I got a little burnt out," he said. "I felt like I needed some more guidance and a little more time to develop my game. I wanted to also get a degree because that's also been one of my goals, to graduate with a bachelor's degree.”
In the past, opting for college instead of turning professional straight out of high school was considered an unnecessary detour, or even a premature end to a tennis career. But nowadays, more players have taken the college tennis route and are enjoying great success on the professional circuit, most recently UVA grad Danielle Collins, who made the Australian Open final last month.
“The college tennis level now is really good and you see a lot of guys on tour that have played college tennis like (British world No 13) Cameron Norrie," Habib said. "Another good friend of mine is in the top 50, Arthur Rinderknech, he was on my team and he's doing really well right now. So it just shows the level is getting better.”
Reaching the summit of the ITA collegiate tennis rankings last March was a nice bonus before graduation for Habib, who grew up admiring Roger Federer and Nadal, and more recently has become a big fan of Dominic Thiem’s explosive game.
“I was the best player in the nation in the NCAA. I was really honoured because it was the first time someone in our programme at Texas A&M was ranked No 1 so it was special for me and A&M,” he said.
“Playing college tennis, you’re playing for a team and there's obviously more pressure. I got to play under the eyes of Steve Denton, who was also a former top 20 player, and he helped me a lot. Also, playing matches with the crowds and a lot of pressure, I feel like that helped me deal with different scenarios, deal with adversity better on court and figure things out on my own.”
Habib’s life now, grinding on the ITF tour, is far removed from his time at A&M, where he had teammates, coaches, physios, and everything else he needed at his disposal.
“It’s been different; in college you get all the resources, from physios and trainers and coaches. Every time you're playing, there's a big crowd watching, so it's more exciting playing in college,” he said.
“But I enjoy playing on tour as well. It's been fun, I’m even enjoying the struggles of it; I’ve been pushing hard. At the start it wasn't easy with travelling alone, but I've got used to it. I've been developing a routine and keeping track of my progress along the way and I feel like that's paying off."
Habib, who is on the brink of breaking the top 500, knows that travelling alone and clawing his way through the ITF circuit is a necessary stepping stone and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to reach his goals. He also seems to have a good formula to stay mentally fresh and deal with the challenges he is facing during this phase of his career.
“You have to be disciplined on your own and take care of yourself, do all the right things like recover and rest well between matches. Stay in contact with your family so you don't burn out mentally,” he said.
“It's not easy playing the same events at the same place weeks in a row. But the ITFs are the step to playing the Challengers then eventually the ATP. Every player has to go through the same things that I go through, it is what it is.”
While he’s already captured four ITF titles in the last few months, Habib’s favourite moment came outside of the tour, when he was crowned champion at the Arab Elite tournament in Kuwait last December.
The best Arab tennis players in the region were invited to compete in a tournament, hosted at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Kuwait. Habib blasted through the draw and defeated former world No 42 Jaziri in the final in front of a buoyant crowd, announcing himself to the stage in emphatic fashion. He received the trophy from Tunisian star Ons Jabeur, who is the first ever Arab player to be ranked inside the top 10 of the world rankings.
“That week was really special to me,” he said. “It was one of my favourite weeks. One of my favourite tournaments I've played, just the way the tournament was set up, the atmosphere, the venue, the Rafa Nadal academy.
“Especially playing for Lebanon, which has been going through some tough times recently, to be able to get the win for the country and bring some positive vibes to the people and just some good news for once, was really special.
“There were so many Lebanese fans that came out and watched me and were supporting and after the match they all wanted to congratulate me and tell me how proud they were of me. It was a really special moment for me.”
Habib said he was “honoured” to receive the trophy from Jabeur and is inspired of her achievements on the WTA Tour.
“I think I can definitely take a lot of motivation from that," he added. "And especially, whatever conditions or whatever she had growing up she's managed to overcome them. I don’t know how much help she got in Tunisia but just the fact that she's top 10 - it's just huge and inspirational.”
Habib is well aware of the struggles Arab players had to go through to make it on tour and he draws motivation from those who came before him, including Egyptian veteran Safwat, whom he recently met in Cairo.
“I hit with Safwat once and he’s given me some valuable advice," he said. "He's such a great guy. He’s also another inspiration to look up to, his dedication, especially with his recent issues, not being able to travel because of the visa situation in Egypt. He’s staying positive and he just keeps working hard which is motivating for me."
Habib’s main goal for the season is to get his ranking high enough to make it regularly into the main draws of Challenger events. He has requested a wildcard for this month’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he hopes to make his ATP tournament debut.
Whether he is extended invitations into the bigger tournaments in the region or not, Habib is willing to pay his dues.
“Whatever it takes, I’m on the right path," he said. "I just need to keep focusing on my tennis and my daily progress, stuff that I can control. I think everything else will come eventually."
