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Midnight At the Oasis

Dubai’s Got a World-class Tournament, But Where’s the Local Talent?

By Reem Abulleil

11:57 AM EDT on October 1, 2016

Roger Federer and Andre Agassi playing an exhibition match on the helipad of the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel In Dubai.

Illustrations by Luke Shuman

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is a high-quality tournament hosted in one of the coziest, most understated settings.

I remember the first time I walked around the Aviation Club in Dubai, almost a decade ago. I was taking a stroll across the cobblestone, making my way through the bars and restaurants that lined the perimeter and thinking to myself that this has got to be the cutest little tennis venue on earth.