Arab athletes on road to Paris 2024: Hassan, Sherif secure tennis spots, Al Sayegh shines

Lebanon's Hassan granted Universality Place - a wildcard - in men’s singles event at the Olympic Games

With the Olympics just six weeks away, here’s an update on some of the Arab athletes who have punched their tickets to the French capital next month.

A nice surprise for Lebanon

A pair of Arab tennis players received some welcome news this week with both Benjamin Hassan of Lebanon and Mayar Sherif of Egypt securing their places at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Monday that Hassan has been granted a Universality Place in the men’s singles event at the Olympics, which is essentially a wildcard invitation handed to nations that are under-represented at the Games.

Hassan is ranked a career-high 146 in the world this week and considers himself a late-bloomer who only started taking tennis seriously at the age of 22.

Born and raised in Germany to Lebanese parents, Hassan made his qualifying debut at the grand slams this season and the Olympics will mark another special milestone for the 29 year old.

Hassan has been representing Lebanon in Davis Cup competition since 2018 and reached out to the Lebanese Tennis Federation earlier this year to see if they could apply for a Universality Place for him for the Olympics.

He got the message that he was in this week and couldn’t believe it at first until he saw the email sent from the ITF with his own eyes.

“It’s a dream come true, so I’m very happy and excited,” Hassan told The National in a Zoom interview on Tuesday.

Hassan is the first tennis player to represent Lebanon at an Olympic Games and he admits the term ‘Olympian’ has a special ring to it, despite the fact most tennis players grow up dreaming about Wimbledon or Roland Garros rather than the Olympics.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Of course grand slams are always important, because of the points also and the good money. But you just have to ask yourself: how many players can be called an Olympian? Or can play and represent their country? It’s not much,” said Hassan.

“So I’m very happy to represent Lebanon. I would be the first one [tennis player] ever I think, so that makes it exciting, and a little bit nervous also. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Hassan is one of just five Lebanese athletes to have qualified for the Paris Olympics so far, as he joins trap shooter Ray Bassil, foil fencer Philippe Wakim, table tennis player Mariana Sahakian, and taekwondo fighter Laetitia Aoun.

In this week’s episode of the Abtal podcast, Bassil, who is heading to her fourth Olympics, explained why Lebanon hasn’t been able to see a wider delegation qualify for the Games.

“Sports in Lebanon is not being supported,” said the reigning Asian champion.

“And with all the crises we had in Lebanon, and with all the problems, the explosion, the young people are travelling to work and to study and the government is not present, it’s a big thing. So that’s why there is no one really to focus on young athletes and help them reach … because actually we do have a lot of talent but we don’t have the support.”

Hassan, meanwhile, is grateful to get an opportunity to fly the flag for Lebanon and is happy to be joining other Arabs in the tennis field at Roland Garros stadium in Paris this summer.

“It's really good that they have this wildcard for the players from countries who have normally not a good chance to play the Olympics, so that’s the only reason I can play,” he said.

“I’m very lucky to be part of it and get the wildcard. Just trying to have fun there, to enjoy it, to have a good atmosphere, to get a great image to represent my country. I will be nervous, excited, happy, I don’t know what to feel actually.”

Hassan’s inclusion means two Arab men will be competing in tennis at the Olympics, with Tunisian Moez Echargui already confirmed a place, courtesy of him winning gold at the African Games earlier this year.

“It’s a good sign that we Arab countries have some players that can give it a shot and have chances to play the Olympic Games. Moez is a nice guy, a funny guy, we played doubles together in Japan. It’s a great chance for us Arab players to show what we’re capable of,” added Hassan.

With the Olympics featuring a stacked draw that includes the very best tennis players in the world, Hassan already has a dream match-up in mind for his debut at the Games.

“Probably Rafa, it’s maybe his last year [competing], so I think that’s the only chance I could play him, so I would choose Rafa Nadal for sure,” said Hassan without hesitation.

“It’s going to be tough because he plays really good there [at Roland Garros] and he would be probably more ready than in Paris [at the French Open]. He would be really good I think in Olympic Games, but that would be a dream. Because it is really the last chance I think where I have the possibility to play Nadal.

“I would look forward to it. Even if I get a tennis lesson, I would still take it.”

Mayar heading to second Olympics

Meanwhile, Sherif wrapped up a gruelling seven-week stretch, in which she reached four finals in her last six tournaments, and won 20 out of 27 matches, by locking down her spot at a second consecutive Olympics.

The Egyptian Tennis Federation announced that Sherif will be receiving the continental place, which was initially going to African Games champion Angella Okutoyi, but was reassigned due to the young Kenyan’s inability to crack the top 400 in the rankings, which deemed her ineligible for the Olympics.

Sherif, who is 63 in the world this week, could very well make into the Olympics draw via ranking but that is no longer relevant given she has been granted the African spot.

After going winless for the first four months of the season, Sherif flourished on her beloved red clay these past few weeks and says she’ll take a short break to examine her four final defeats before switching her focus to Wimbledon and the Olympics.

“For the past couple of months, I’ve poured my heart into every single match,” the Cairene wrote in a post on Instagram.

“My mission was to succeed in securing a spot to represent my country in the Paris Olympics. After 10 consecutive weeks without rest, I’m proud to say I’ve secured my spot at the Olympics.

“Despite the unexpected outcome at the Makarska Open, it marks the close of an unforgettable chapter. Now, it’s time for a well-deserved break to recharge, analyse my performances, and work on rectifying mistakes from my recent matches.”

Big in Asia

UAE cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh finished an impressive 12th at the Asian Road Cycling Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, which was her first participation at an elite Asian road race.

The 22-year-old Emirati is heading to Paris next month, where she will be the first Emirati woman cyclist to compete at the Olympics.

Al Sayegh was one of 84 women to start the 112.km race in Almaty, which was won by South Korea’s Song Minji.

In a recent episode of the Abtal podcast, the trailblazing Al Sayegh spoke about some lofty targets she has set for herself in the world of professional cycling.

“Definitely, as bizarre as it sounds, [I’d like to] become world champion maybe. I say it with hesitation, but I’d love to say it with more confidence,” she said.

“I don’t say a dream, because dreams, you dream of, you don’t get up to work for and you don’t sweat for, you don’t shed tears and blood for. I call it a goal because I actually put effort into it and would like to achieve it one day.”