February 11th 2022
Dear Member,
We have had a busy week at Rackets Academy, introducing new activities to the schedule and we have some fresh news for everyone this week! Let’s begin!
New Activities
Last week we already announced that Coach Thibaut was leading new activities for adults in our different venues. If you have not yet register, do it now!
New Coffee Morning at Sofitel the Palm on Monday morning from 8:30 – 10:30am. On Saturday morning from 8 – 10am at Motor City join the new Adult Social Morning. If you have just started playing tennis join the Adult Beginners Class at Motor City on Sunday from 8:30 – 9:30am. Newest activity in our schedule is a beginner’s adult paddle tennis class at Mudon Fitness First. For more information contact register@racketsacademy.ae
International Tournament Opportunity
Rackets Academy has one spot available to get an invitation for a 7-star tennis international tournament in Europe in Mid-April. Join our trainings and apply for the opportunity to have all expenses paid tournament in Europe for top 10 junior 2010 born players.
Expo 2020
From February 19th to 24th Rackets Academy is going to the Dubai Expo 2020. The Elite Squad will be training throughout the week to showcase UAE junior talent.
Rackets Academy will be putting together a Davis Cup Tournament style at the new three and a half thousand sitting stadium. Get ready to represent your country playing tennis at the Dubai Expo 2020. If you would like to participate send your application via email
Get to know our players – Interview of the week
We sat down with our Elite program player, Larissa Brasil, and asked her about her experience at Rackets Academy and at the latest tournaments she just played.
Where are you from?
I am from Brazil
How old are you?
I am 13 years old
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time I like to read, go to the beach, see my friends and paint.
Who is your favorite tennis player and why?
My favorite tennis player is Rafael Nadal because I love the way he plays and he is very mentally strong and inspiring
When and how did you start playing tennis?
I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old and I started because my sister used to play tennis and I used to go with her to her lessons, and I ended up wanting to play too and I loved it
When did you start training at Rackets Academy?
I had my first lesson in Rackets Academy in 2019 and then I started at full time in 2021
What brought you to Rackets Academy?
What brought me to Rackets Academy was the competitiveness and the focus of preparing me for tournaments
What was the best moment in Rackets academy?
The best moment was when I started to compete outside of the UAE with the Academy (travelling with the team)
How was the experience of playing in the Dubai Bowl?
The Dubai Bowl was an amazing experience, it helped me a lot in terms of knowing what I need to work on and not only physically but also mentally
Have you played any big tournaments like Ten pro or ITFs before?
My first Ten pro was here in Dubai and I have played 2 ITFs before and it was a challenge for me but it was amazing to see all the players there competing. It made me feel even more passionate.
What tournaments are you playing next and how are you going to prepare for them? The next tournament I am going to is the Ten Pro in Mallorca, and I am going to prepare myself physically, mentally and strategically to be able to play the best tennis that I can.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In 5 years, I see myself having a WTA ranking and striving to my goals of becoming a professional tennis player.
Travel Tour
There are still spots available to travel to Spain to compete at the Ten Pro Global Tournament at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. The tournament goes from the 14th to the 20th of March and it is Ten Pro format, all players are guaranteed a minimum of 4 matches per category. Last day to sign in and register for the tournament is February 14th, so hurry up and do not miss the opportunity to travel to Spain and compete at a high-level international tournament. For more information email Coach Alejandro.
Orange and Green Program
The Orange and Green Program is ideally for players in between the ages of 6 – 11. For kids that had just been introduced to tennis and want to gradually improve their level and have playing the Orange and Green Programs are the perfect match for them. Every Tuesday from 6 – 7pm Coach Easy is coaching a group of Orange Ball players at Motor City and on Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 – 6pm a Green Ball group at Motor City. To go to the next level of improving, Coach Easy has put together a match play tournament for all the players participating in the orange and green programs. Every Saturday from 9 – 11am, players will do 30 minutes of fitness and then two full hours of match play. The format will usually be a 4 games-set round robin and around three to four matches per player.
What is UTR?
Universal Tennis Rating is a global platform for tennis players rating system that has a clear goal, rate players’ tennis skills. UTR rates players on a 16 points scale, without regard to age, gender, or nationality. Adult leagues, junior, college and professional tennis players, all can have a UTR ranking.
Having a UTR is very helpful to schedule competitive matches with other teams or individual players, finding a tennis partner or sparring to practice with or for college recruiting. Once you are in the UTR system every match you play in a competitive level will move you around the rating scale. The points you get are a percentage of the games won not only the final match result so the more you play the better.
The good thing about UTR is that it calculates your rating also based on who you play and not on how many tournaments you were able to play at. UTR gives you a real-time global view of what the true level of every tennis player really is. A good tip if you want to improve your UTR? Compete hard for every game. By winning as many games as possible and trying to limit your opponent’s games you will get a chance to increase your UTR rating.
UTR and Rackets Academy have partnered together so that all players participating at tournaments hosted by Rackets Academy count for UTR. We are one of the few Academies in the UAE that have this partnership with UTR.
Every player can access their UTR by creating a profile on their website.
Tournaments
Registration ends today for the UTR Round Robin Format U16 Boys and Girls Tournament! First Rackets Academy tournament takes place this weekend, Saturday at Motor City and Sunday at Sofitel the Palm. The new Round Robin format guarantees a minimum of three matches per player, best of three sets (3rd set super tie break) matches. Group stage will be played on Saturday and semi-final and final on Sunday.
Rackets Academy Ladies League
Rackettes v Get a Grip
Line 1 4/6, 1/6
Line 2 3/6, 6/2 8/10
Get a Grip wins
Baseliners vs Match Point
Line 1 2/6, 5/7
Line 2 6/0, 6/3
Baseliners win
Match Point vs Drop Shot Divas
Line 1 3/6, 1/6
Line 2 6/3, 6/4
Drop Shot Divas win
Baseliners v Rackettes
Line 1 3/6, 5/7
Line 2 2/6, 6/1, 4/10
Rackettes win
Radu’s Rebels v Aces
Line 1 1/6, 7/5, 10/8
Line 2 6/2, 6/3
Radu’s Rebels win
No Strings Attached v Matchmakers
Line 1 1/6, 0/6
Line 2 3/6, 0/6
Matchmakers win
Giveaway Alert
Valentine’s Day is coming up and we want to spread the love to all our followers with another giveaway. Check our Instagram page and participate to get a chance to win a semi-private lesson with one of the coaches at Rackets Academy