Bahrain 2025 – ATF Under 14 Grade A Tournament
Day One: The Journey Begins
Our journey kicked off in Dubai joining the Sunday Morning development squad with a warm-up session before heading into the final of a local Federation tournament hosted at our facility. What a way to start the trip—Rafa played a solid match and cruised to an easy victory. A confidence-boosting win that sets the tone perfectly for this week’s international challenge in Bahrain.
We made it to the airport with time to spare, and the flight was smooth and short—just 55 minutes. Upon arrival in Bahrain, the tournament organizers had arranged an official pickup for the players, which was a nice touch. We waited a few minutes for Isabella and her family to land so we could share the ride to the hotel together.
Everything at the hotel was in order, and without wasting much time, we grabbed a taxi to the Bahrain Tennis Federation facility to get our first hit on the tournament courts. The players had a solid hour of practice, and early impressions of the conditions: the courts are fast, a little dusty, and the balls (Wilson US Open) are hard and quick—conditions that definitely suit aggressive players.
Great news for Isabella—she made it into the main draw at the last minute. She was top seed in the qualifying draw but got bumped up when a main draw player withdrew. A lucky break that could turn into a big opportunity.
We wrapped up the evening with dinner at the hotel and a well-deserved rest. Tomorrow will be a full training day—morning and evening sessions planned to complete our adaptation to the court speed and ball bounce. Main draw matches begin Tuesday.
More to come tomorrow. Life on tour is remarkably similar whether you’re 14 or a seasoned pro—airport runs, hotel check-ins, last-minute changes, and that constant push to be ready when it matters.