Coach Spotlight: Mladen Milanović – From Serbia to Head Coach in Dubai
Welcome to the first edition of our Coach Spotlight Series, where we feature SPC members and their unique coaching journeys around the world. Kicking us off is someone very close to our platform: Mladen Milanović. From a small town in Serbia to leading tennis in the UAE, Mladen’s story shows the power of passion, perseverance, and the opportunities available through SPC.
Good morning Mladen Milanović, it’s great to have you as the first guest in our Series of ‘Coach Spotlights’. Please tell our readers a little about you and your career in tennis so far?
A: Thank you Mark for everything you are doing for the tennis world globally and for the opportunity to share my story on your platform!
I come from a small city in Serbia called Ćuprija where tennis was not very popular until about 30 years ago. I had a very average tennis career and stopped competing when I was 15 or so, and went into coaching very early at 21. I first worked in my hometown, then spent a few months in Vienna, moved to Montenegro, and in 2021, thanks to SPC, came to Dubai. I’m currently working as Head Coach in the UAE Tennis Federation. It was a long and difficult road, but my love for the sport, hard work and a bit of luck have landed me my dream job.
Thanks very much Mladen, much appreciated! Interviewing yourself is a great way to start our new series, since you were one of SPC’s first placements several years ago now! Tell us some more about your time in Dubai so far?
A: In 2021, on recommendation by yourself, Mark, I got a job at Tennis 360, one of the biggest and oldest academies in Dubai. It was an amazing role that helped me understand the Dubai market, which is very different to Europe and more focused on recreation. After two years with Tennis 360, I moved to Top Spin, another big academy with great facilities. Their management actually recommended me for my current role as a Head Coach in the Federation.
It has been nothing short of amazing, constantly improving and landing better and better roles for the past four years — all thanks to SPC and you, Mark!
After the US, Dubai seems to be one of the most recognised destinations for aspiring coaches to visit, live and work in. Why do you think this is?
A: I would say its central location, big demand for coaches, and the ease of getting a work permit and visa all play a role. More and more experienced coaches like myself are also coming here and elevating the level of coaching and tennis in general, making Dubai a good location for those who want to coach performance too, which wasn’t the case 10 or 15 years ago.
The lifestyle here is also great – safe, convenient, everything works, and once you create a good client base, the money can be better than most places in the world.
Mladen, having been in Dubai for many years now, what is the level of tennis like there?
A: It is constantly improving. Dubai culture is mainly recreational towards all sports, not just tennis. The habit here is to play multiple sports once per week. But with growing popularity and more professional tournaments (UAE has 2 WTA 1000s, 1 ATP 500 and 7 or so ITF-level events from 50–100k), we’re seeing greater interest in competitive tennis and in pursuing tennis as a career or scholarship pathway.
Being involved in the tennis federation, I can confirm that in the coming years there will be major investment in coach education, infrastructure, pro events, and even player nationalisation to elevate tennis in Dubai and the UAE.
I’ve also heard a lot about the huge investment in padel in Dubai. Is padel here to stay, or will tennis continue to grow beyond padel? Is there room for both sports?
A: I don’t think tennis will beat padel in terms of numbers — the reasons are obvious: ease of play, accessibility, and a shorter learning curve. Padel also had government backing and investment five years before tennis. It’s here to stay. But I do believe there’s room for both sports. The market is big enough, and the more options people have, the better.
Mladen Milanović
So, Mladen, you’ve been a member of SportsProsConnect for many years now and recently became an admin for the SPC Coaches Discussion Group on WhatsApp. What’s one aspect of the platform we can improve on?
A: You’ve done an amazing job with SPC over the years — your platform has made the tennis world smaller in a good way. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. The discussion group is another great learning platform, and the yearly conference is a huge asset. I’d love to see it developed into a live event, where coaches can meet and learn from each other over a few days. The best way to learn is to do; the second best is to watch.
Thanks Mladen… Finally, a round of quick fire questions!
-
Favourite Colour: Blue
-
Other Sports Followed: Basketball, F1, Chess
-
Car: Ford Fiesta
-
Favourite Tennis Player: Federer
-
Favourite Sports Person: Federer
-
3 Celebrity Dinner Guests: Federer, Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla
-
Padel & Pickleball — Good or Bad? Good thing. My mother can’t play tennis, but she can play pickleball. One is always better than zero.
-
Most Influential Coach: Toni Nadal
Closing
Thank you, Mladen, for all you do for tennis in the UAE and for sharing your story with the SPC community. We wish you the best in your role and look forward to working with you in the future.
Inspired by Mladen’s story?
▪️ Check out Mladen’s SPC profile here: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/mladentennis/
▪️ Mladen’s website: https://mladentennis.com/
▪️ Browse international coaching jobs: www.sportsprosconnect.com/jobs/
📩 If you have any questions, you can contact me directly:
- WhatsApp: +353 86 792 2188
- Email: info@sportsprosconnect.com
