Ali Abbas Tennis Coach – Inspiring Journey from Football to Tennis Coaching
Ali Abbas is an Argentinian-born tennis coach originally from Lebanon who has built his career across Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. In this week’s SPC Coach Spotlight, Ali shares his journey into tennis and padel coaching, his tournament experiences, and his ambitions to continue developing his coaching career internationally.
Good morning Ali Abbas, it’s a pleasure to have you as a guest in our continuing series of Coach Spotlights. Please tell our readers a little about yourself and your journey in racket sports.
My name is Ali Abbas. I am originally from Lebanon with both Lebanese and Argentinian citizenship. I was born in Saudi Arabia. I am currently based in Lebanon and I have been involved in racket sports for many years as both a player and a coach.
I started playing tennis at the age of 16 while also playing football, which was my main sport growing up. Over time I developed a real passion for tennis. I loved the combination of physical fitness, agility, strength and mental focus that the sport requires.
During my university years I joined the varsity tennis team and began competing regularly. After graduating in 2004, I travelled to Saudi Arabia where I began working and dedicated much of my time to tennis. At first I was playing regularly and helping friends and colleagues improve their game, which gradually led me into coaching.
In 2009 I joined the ABG group where I met my head coach, Mr Meloti. I learned a great deal from him, particularly in terms of structured and academic coaching methods. Through the group I participated in many tournaments organised by the American Business Group and continued developing both as a player and a coach.
Since then I have participated in numerous tournaments across Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, competing in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team events. Some of my achievements include winning the mixed category at the ASTEC Tennis Cup Challenge and reaching the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Federation Tennis Cup Championship.
Since 2009 I have been coaching players of all ages including children, women, men and advanced players. I coached in Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2017 and have continued coaching in Lebanon since 2018.
Recently I have also become involved in padel. I now play regularly and have begun coaching padel sessions as well, and I plan to obtain an official padel coaching certification soon.
Ali Abbas
Please tell us about your finest experiences as both a tennis player and a tennis coach.
One of my proudest moments as a tennis player was participating in the ITF Veterans Tournament in Lebanon for the 35+ category. I reached the semi-final stage and lost to the eventual champion, who was ranked number one in Lebanon for that age group. It was a very competitive tournament and a great personal achievement.
As a coach, one of my most important experiences was joining the ABG group in 2009 and working under the supervision of my head coach. That period helped me develop my understanding of structured coaching, teaching methods and how to work effectively with different types of players.
By 2013 I had built a strong network and began coaching more independently, giving lessons while still benefiting from the mentorship and guidance of my head coach.
It seems that you have also played football to a good level. How has playing other sports helped your racket sports development?
Football has helped me in many ways when it comes to tennis and coaching. Many of the physical and mental skills transfer very well between sports.
For example:
▪️ Footwork and movement intelligence
▪️ Balance and body control
▪️ Anticipation and reading the game
▪️ Endurance and mental strength
▪️ Competitive mindset
These qualities have helped me both as a player and as a coach when developing athletes.
Ali Abbas tennis coach giving tennis lessons to players
You have been a long-term member of SportsProsConnect. Our goal is to build a strong global community and help professionalise the racket sports industry. Do you have any ideas on how this could develop further?
I believe there are several ways the platform could continue growing and helping coaches.
First, defining clear professional pathways would be very valuable. For example, creating role-based tracks such as coach, player, club manager, physio or stringer, and publishing clear career progressions like junior coach, certified coach and performance coach.
Second, education that focuses on solving real problems would be very helpful. Monthly masterclasses on topics like building a coaching business, pricing lessons, contracts and athlete mental performance could help coaches improve professionally.
Finally, creating global standards while allowing local flexibility could strengthen the industry. Best practice frameworks around coaching ethics, player development models and club operations could help maintain high standards worldwide.
What are your aims and goals for 2026?
My main goal for 2026 is to continue improving my coaching qualifications. Currently I hold the ITF Level 1 Play and Stay certification, and I would like to progress to higher coaching certifications.
I also hope to work in a larger tennis club or academy that allows me to develop further as a coach. Ideally this would be within the Middle East region, particularly within GCC countries.
Quick Fire Questions
Favourite Colour
Blue
Three Dinner Guests
My daughter, my mother and my girlfriend
Backhand
Double handed
Favourite Sportsperson outside Tennis
Lionel Messi
Tennis Idols
Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro
Sports Teams Supported
Argentina National Football Team
Ideal Holiday Destination
UAE
You can find out more about Ali and connect with him via his SPC profile:
https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/coachali/
