A day with Lebanon’s Davis Cup teenage tennis ace Nour Nehme

Matt Jones - Editor 10:56 18/06/2015
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  • Nour Nehme studies at the American University in Dubai.

    What were you doing at 17 years old? Most teenagers are studying for exams, enjoying their adolescence, listening to music and generally making life difficult for their parents.

    Then there’s Nour Nehme, who has already played Davis Cup tennis for Lebanon. The prodigious talent made his international bow in March, four months shy of his 18th birthday, losing his singles encounter 6-0, 6-2 to Chinese Taipei’s Chieh-Fu Wang.

    His opponent was five years older than him and ranked 996th in the world.  The American University in Dubai student is upbeat, enriched by his experiences. Having had a taste of the high life, he admits he’s hungry for more.

    How old were you when you first played tennis?

    I started playing tennis when I was five in our backyard tennis court in Lebanon, but I stopped and started to play again when I was 12. It was my grandfather who brought me back into tennis.

    What led you to an interest in tennis?

    Tennis has been in my family for a very long time and several members of my family were Lebanese champions. My mother always told me stories about the tournaments they used to play and at a certain time I fell in love with the game and I felt that I had to try to do something in tennis.

    Who is your tennis hero and why?

    My tennis hero is my coach in Lebanon Thomas Wille, because of everything that he achieved in his tennis life. He actually still beats me in matches but hopefully that will change soon. My favourite ATP players are Rafael Nadal, for his fighting spirit, and Jo Wilfried Tsonga, for the big game he plays.

    Nour Nehme played alongside Karim Alayli in the Davis Cup doubles.

    Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

    Thomas. When I first started playing with him I never thought I would be where I am today. He taught me most of the things I know about being a tennis player.

    What was your Davis Cup experience like?

    It was an unbelievable experience playing Davis Cup. The atmosphere was just incredible. When you play for your country it’s a completely different feeling. The hospitality was also amazing. We had our own lounge and the hotel was very comfortable and the people were very nice and everything was just very different for me. The whole trip gave me a lot of motivation and also I had the honour of giving a speech at the official Davis Cup dinner which was amazing.

    What was the biggest thing you took away from it?

    I learned so much from playing Davis Cup. I learned a lot, especially from the people I was around the entire time, like our team captain Hussein Badredine, who has been on the Davis Cup team for 25 years. I was always listening to what he was saying. Also, I learned from Karim Alayli who has been playing Davis Cup for 16 years and I was so lucky to play the doubles rubber with him, and also Ibrahim Abou Chahine helped me especially, because he also played his first Davis Cup tie at a young age. Chinese Taipei have a player, Yen-Hsun Lu, who was once number 33 in the ATP rankings and when you watch players of that calibre you realise the work that needs to be done and the discipline you need to have in order to have a chance of succeeding in tennis.

    You played four matches in seven hours recently. How was that?

    Playing four finals in one day was something I never expected. Unfortunately the last match ended with me cramping. I made a big mistake by not calling the trainer when I first felt pain but other than that the day went well. I really enjoyed it. I played the two doubles finals with my coaches from PSS (Professional Sport Services) Tennis Academy, the academy that I am playing with here, and they are very experienced players so they helped me, and also I had a lot of support from the guys there, like head coach Sigi Meeuws and Laith Al Ani, the tournament referee.

    What is your plan for the rest of the year?

    My plan for the rest of the year is to keep improving and playing as much as possible and to get fit again. I will probably play a couple of ITF junior tournaments and I’m also playing my first Futures tournament this month. Depending on how I do there, I will decide whether I am ready to travel and play some more Futures this year or wait until next year and give myself time to be ready.

    You will be 18 next month, are you going professional?

    As I said I am playing my first professional tournament in June and depending on how I do there I will decide if I play more this year or not. I am taking it step by step, but hopefully everything goes according to plan.

    Nehme enjoys watching Roland Garros for its vocal crowd.

    What is your ultimate dream in tennis?

    My ultimate dream is to have a high ATP ranking, but we will see how that goes. Also it would be a dream to be able to play Davis Cup regularly for my country.

    What do you like to do in your spare time?

    I enjoy playing a lot of sports, especially basketball, which is what I used to play when I was younger. In my spare time I have to study because I’m in university, but when I’m not studying or playing I like to go out with my friends or sometimes I go with my dad to the office and help him with work.

    Where do you go to school and what do you study?

    I graduated from the International School of Choueifat in Abu Dhabi last year and now I am at the American University in Dubai – majoring in Finance. I hope to finish with a masters degree someday.

    What is your favourite tournament to watch on TV?

    My favourite tennis tournament to watch is Roland Garros because I love the atmosphere there and the crowd is amazing and clay is my favourite surface.

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