Overcoming obstacles and naysayers has been a continuing theme for Aziz Dougaz, the Tunisian who’s certainly one of simply two gamers from Africa within the High 250 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
The 26-year-old is having fun with a career-best season on the ATP Challenger Tour, the place he’s reached seven quarter-finals in 2023 and is hoping for one more deep run this week in Calgary, Canada. To know how Dougaz has reached this level takes revisiting his previous.
“My path was like nobody else’s path that’s taking part in the identical tournaments I’m taking part in,” Dougaz instructed ATPTour.com on the Calgary Nationwide Financial institution Challenger. “I believe I created my very own path in tennis and I pushed via the obstacles I confronted and I’ve much more obstacles to face to succeed in my objectives.
“I come from a metropolis in Tunisia that no person ever thought I may already be the place I’m now due to the obstacles. No cash, no coaches, no tournaments. Tennis was only for enjoyable and that’s it. No one thought that we may make it. I had no person to inform me, ‘That is the way in which, that is what we have to do.’ I used to be all the time going via the unknown and adapting to what involves me. I believe that’s a energy I’ve and I’ve to make use of it.”
Dougaz finds additional motivation in inspiring younger Tunisian youngsters that they can also attain the professional stage, citing Malek Jaziri and Ons Jabeur as different key gamers in opening doorways for the following technology. Jaziri hit a career-high No. 42 in 2019 and spent 5 years within the High 100 whereas Jabeur, a three-time main finalist, is at the moment No. 6 within the WTA Rankings.
“The concept of getting skilled gamers in Tunisia after I was child didn’t actually exist,” Dougaz mentioned. “However I believe now it’s rising loads. Malek had an incredible profession and Ons now too, her impression is very large. I believe lots of people consider in tennis rather more now that they will make it.”
Dougaz witnessed skilled tennis first hand in 2005 when he was a ballkid on the Tunis Challenger, the place Gael Monfils downed Fabrice Santoro in an all-French remaining. “I keep in mind being at that match and it simply marked me. It was superb to see such superb gamers so shut,” he mentioned.
The lefty turned one of many High 50 juniors on the planet and spent three-and-a-half years at Florida State College, the place he earned ITA All-American honours. Regardless of critics advising Dougaz to pursue a profession exterior of professional sports activities, his thoughts was set on reaching a dream.
“As a child I all the time believed tennis was going to be my job despite the fact that no person round me besides my mother and father believed that,” Dougaz mentioned. “Everybody was like, ‘Yeah, tennis is nice. You’ll be able to go to school and have expertise however skilled in Tunisia is not possible. We don’t have the cash, we don’t have the infrastructure, we don’t have a lot to battle towards the opposite international locations.’
“Most individuals round me have been like, ‘What are you doing? Simply concentrate on faculty, you’re losing your time.’ I’m actually grateful my mother and father allowed me to maintain dreaming and didn’t take heed to all of the individuals who mentioned there’s no future in tennis.”
A memorable second for Dougaz got here this yr on the US Open, the place he was competing in qualifying along with his mother and father Ahmed and Mona in attendance.
“That was superb. I believe they have been tremendous pleased with me and for them it was a reward, a proud feeling of, ‘Our son is taking part in a giant match like this and he’s successful a match and he’s round the most effective athletes there are in tennis,’” Dougaz mentioned. “They’re pushing me to attain extra as a result of they undoubtedly comprehend it’s the place I need to go and that my aim continues to be distant from the place I’m proper now.”
Dougaz, who’s World No. 242 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is the highest-ranked Tunisian and simply certainly one of 5 gamers from the African nation within the High 1,000. Although his path thus far has been removed from regular, Dougaz takes satisfaction in his work.
“[I will] hold creating my very own path, all of us have alternative ways to get to a sure aim,” Dougaz mentioned. “I’m going to consider in that and never assume, ‘I didn’t have as many alternatives because the gamers I’m going through.’ I believe it’s a energy that I’ve confronted extra challenges and my path is totally totally different than the traditional man within the High 250.”
