The curtain came down on the men’s Gulf Cup Tennis Championship, which was hosted by the Bahrain Tennis Federation during the period from October 19 to 23, with strong participation from players from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.
The tournament witnessed absolute Saudi control over the first places in the singles and doubles competitions. In the singles category, the Saudi player Saud Al-Haqbani was crowned champion after a strong and distinguished performance during the tournament to deservedly claim first place, as Saud defeated his brother Ammar Al-Haqbani, ranked first in the tournament, in the final match after the latter withdrew from the match due to injury before the start of the third group decider to determine the winner of the Gulf title.
The two players were tied in a set each before the withdrawal of Ammar Al-Haqbani, who won the first set 6/3, while his brother Saud was able to return in the second set and win 6/4.
On the doubles level, the duo Saud and Ammar Al-Haqbani continued their brilliance, winning the doubles title and proving their superiority over all the participating teams, as they defeated the other Saudi duo Badr Idris and Abdul Majeed Bukhari with a score of 6/3 and 7/6 in the final match of the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, His Excellency Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Tennis Federation, crowned the Saudi player Saud Al-Haqbani as the Gulf champion in the singles category, and crowned his brother Ammar Al-Haqbani as runner-up. His Excellency also crowned the Saudi duo Ammar Al-Haqbani and his brother Saud Al-Haqbani as Gulf champion in the doubles category, while the Saudi duo Badr Idris and Abdul Majeed Bukhari were crowned runner-up to the competition champion. This was in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Mr. Fouad Al-Ruwaiei, Secretary of the Bahrain Tennis Federation, Mr. Abdul Redha Al-Gharib, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwaiti Federation, Mr. Khalid Al-Mutairi, Member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Federation, Mr. Othman Gharib Al-Raisi, Member of the Board of Directors of the Omani Federation, Mr. Muhammad Al-Saud, Member of the Board of Directors of the Qatari Federation, and Mr. Muhammad Salman, Member of the Board of Directors of the Bahraini Federation.
Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Tennis Federation, expressed his happiness at the success of the tournament, saying: “We are proud to host the Gulf Cup Men’s Tennis Championship, and we thank all Gulf federations for the strong and distinguished participation that contributed to the success of the tournament and achieving its goals through the distinguished technical level demonstrated by the players, which reflects the development of Gulf tennis. We look forward to more Gulf tournaments in various categories to enhance the status of tennis in the Arab world.” And regionally.”
For his part, Abdul-Rida Al-Gharib, President of the Kuwait Tennis Federation, praised the technical and organizational level of the tournament, saying: “We witnessed a high level of competition, and the emergence of promising Gulf names, especially from Saudi Arabia, which dominated the top positions. This success confirms the importance of continuing the Gulf tournaments as a platform for honing talent and fair competition between brothers.”
As for Khaled Al-Mutairi, a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tennis Federation, he expressed his pride in the results of the Saudi players: “We are happy with the achievements of the players in singles and doubles, and we are constantly working to develop preparation programs and hone talents. The Gulf Cup Championship has confirmed Saudi Arabia’s position in the sport of tennis, and we will continue to work to enhance the Saudi presence in regional and international forums.”
The Gulf federations look forward to continuing cooperation and intensifying efforts to expand the base of tennis practice and raise the level of competition in the upcoming editions. The tournament remains a vital platform for strengthening sports relations, exchanging experiences, and presenting an honorable image for Gulf sports on the regional and international scene.
