Swept Away tennis championships serving up development

Former national tennis player and current tournament organiser Max Brown will be hoping to spark the future of Jamaican tennis at the Max Brown Clay Court Tennis Championships, scheduled to take place from April 10 to 13 at the Couples Swept Away Resort in Negril.

The tournament will bring together local and international players to the island to showcase their skills on the clay surface at the resort, which is the only location in Jamaica that has such facilities.

Brown, who now lives in Vancouver, Canada, says that the tournament is the culmination of a 30-year dream to combine his love for tennis and his willingness for others to see Jamaica as a popular destination.

“When the opportunity came about me doing a tournament in Jamaica, it was ideal for me to bring down my friends and clients from Vancouver, give them a taste of the history of Jamaica, and, at the same time, have some fun,” Brown told The Gleaner.

IMPROVED LEVEL

Brown is targeting an improved level of participation from last year and is hoping for at least 100 entrants, similar to the draw for major tennis tournaments.

“We had 70-80 people last year, and this year, we really want to make it at least 100. As you know, the Grand Slam events with the Roger Federers and the Rafael Nadals and the Novak Djokovics, they have 124 players in the draw. So that’s my goal,” Brown said.

A total prize purse of $700,000 will be up for grabs during the three days, and Brown is seeking to bring various international players to participate.

He is particularly hoping to attract interest from younger players in the open category as he sees the benefits of providing an international-style event to grow the game locally.

“Tennis is a very costly sport to play, so when we can provide the younger generation with an international event like this, in the near future, they should see way better results,” he said. “But overall, I think when it comes to development, it’s a very critical piece of [improving] the tennis. I’m happy to be a part of it, and I really want to make it a lifelong, regular thing every year.”

As a former junior representative, Brown said that the tournament was essential for him to re-establish his commitment to helping Jamaica, and in particular its youth, giving them an opportunity to shine through the sport.