The 2014 UAE Royals season was the inaugural season of the franchise playing in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). The team was based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and finished as runners-up in the league's first edition.
Season overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 2014 record | 2 wins, 1 loss (incomplete season) |
| Owner(s) | Ace Ventures |
| President/CEO | Sachin Gadoya and Sawan Ravani |
| Coach | John-Laffnie de Jager |
| Home venue | Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex, Dubai |
| Television coverage | Abu Dhabi Media |
Founding of the franchise
On 21 January 2014, the IPTL announced that one of the charter franchises for the league's inaugural 2014 season would be based in the Middle East. On 2 March 2014, the IPTL revealed that the Middle East franchise would play its home matches in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The team was founded by Ace Ventures, a group of investors led by Sachin Gadoya, co-founder and chief executive officer of Musafir.com, along with Sawan Ravani, Rahul Saharia, Kaushal Majithia, Chirag Vora, and Kunal Bansal.
Inaugural draft
The Dubai franchise participated in the IPTL inaugural draft on 2 March 2014 in Dubai. The players selected were:
| Player | Category |
|---|---|
| Men | |
| Novak Djokovic | Icon players |
| Janko Tipsarević | Category D |
| Goran Ivanišević | Past champions |
| Nenad Zimonjić | Doubles players |
| Malek Jaziri | Uncategorized |
| Women | |
| Caroline Wozniacki | Icon players |
| Martina Hingis | Category C |
Team name
By May 2014, the team was being referred to as the UAE Falcons. By June 2014, the Falcons had become known as the UAE Royals.
Home venue
On 25 June 2014, the Royals announced that their home matches would be played at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai.
Player transactions
On 25 June 2014, the Royals announced the signing of Richard Gasquet. On 22 August 2014, the team announced the signing of Eugenie Bouchard. Following these signings, Janko Tipsarević and Martina Hingis were reportedly released. On 19 October 2014, the Royals announced the signing of Marin Čilić and the release of Richard Gasquet. On 24 November 2014, Bouchard withdrew from the competition due to injury and was replaced by Kristina Mladenovic.
First coach
On 27 October 2014, John-Laffnie de Jager was named the Royals' first coach.
Match log
| Match | Date | Venue | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 November | Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Philippines | UAE Royals 29, Manila Mavericks 24 | 1–0 |
| 2 | 29 November | Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Philippines | UAE Royals 28, Singapore Slammers 22 | 2–0 |
| 3 | 30 November | Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Philippines | Indian Aces 28, UAE Royals 20 | 2–1 |
The season continued with additional matches scheduled in Singapore (2–4 December), New Delhi (6–8 December), and Dubai (11–13 December).
Final roster
- Marin Čilić
- Novak Djokovic
- Goran Ivanišević
- Malek Jaziri
- Kristina Mladenovic
- Caroline Wozniacki
- Nenad Zimonjić
- Eugenie Bouchard (injured, did not play)
Television coverage
On 22 August 2014, the IPTL announced a broadcasting rights agreement for the Middle East and North Africa with Abu Dhabi Media.
