From a career in luxury retail to founding a tennis community, after first picking up a racquet at the age of 41.
In Dubai, Gwen Tan first arrived in the UAE in 2005 with no intention of playing tennis. Sixteen years later, she went on to establish Tennis 360, which has grown into one of the city’s well-known racquet sports communities—something she describes as “a pure accident.”
“I wasn’t a tennis player, not even close,” she says. “I started playing only at 41.” What began as a personal challenge soon became all-consuming.
Lessons turned into long hours on court—sometimes up to 15 hours a week—playing with anyone willing to rally, from children to retirees. “I was terrible when I started,” she admits, “but I just kept going.”
An accidental beginning
The idea of launching an academy was never part of Gwen Tan’s career plan. With a background in luxury fashion retail in Singapore, sport—let alone tennis—was far from the future she had envisioned.
However, when an opportunity arose to help a group of coaches secure a venue and manage logistics, she stepped in. “I was just supposed to help out administratively,” she explains. “But it quickly became clear they needed more than that.”
What she also observed from a client’s point of view was a clear gap in the system.
“The tennis scene was still quite raw,” says Gwen Tan. “There wasn’t enough structure or consistency in how things were delivered. And as a mother, that mattered to me.”
That insight became the basis for Tennis 360—focused on structured coaching programmes, professional delivery, and, most importantly, building a strong sense of community.
Building what didn’t exist
For Gwen Tan, the most significant gap in the tennis landscape was not technical coaching, but the social experience.
“When I was learning, I had no one to play with,” she says. “I could take lessons, but as a beginner, nobody wanted to hit with me.”
That experience shaped her approach: creating a space where players of all levels could connect, improve together, and feel included.
Sixteen years later, that vision has evolved into a busy schedule of leagues, social events, and training programmes built around consistency. “People come back because they know what to expect,” she says. “It’s organised, it’s welcoming, and it works.”
A league that changed the game for women
Among her most significant achievements is the UAETF Inter-Club Ladies Doubles League, now officially recognised and sanctioned by the UAE Tennis Federation.
What began as a small, informal group of 24 women has grown into a structured multi-club competition with more than 150 active players, complete with rankings, regulations, and weekly fixtures.
“It started modestly,” says Gwen Tan. “But if you create something, it has to be clear, sustainable and consistent.” Today, the league runs with formal rules, scheduling systems, and ranking points aligned with national standards.
But its real impact goes beyond competition. “At the end of every match, everyone sits down together—coffee, snacks, the whole team,” she says. “No matter what happened during the game, you’re expected to talk it through.”
At the end of each series, the league also adds a celebratory touch with lighthearted yet meaningful awards such as best dressed, most improved team, and best sportsmanship, recognising players beyond match results and reinforcing the sense of community she set out to build.
It’s a small but deliberate tradition that reflects a broader philosophy: sport as a platform for connection, not just competition. “People have formed real friendships here,” says Gwen Tan. “They travel together, their families know each other. That’s when you know it’s more than just tennis.”
Lessons in resilience
The journey, as Gwen Tan is quick to acknowledge, has not been without challenges. “Tough times don’t last forever, but tough people do,” she says, matter-of-factly.
From operational challenges to moments of uncertainty, her approach has stayed straightforward: focus on what is immediately in front of you. “Don’t get overwhelmed. Solve what you can, get good advice, and just keep showing up.”
Sport in uncertain times
That sense of stability became even more important during recent periods of uncertainty. “When conflict happens, you realise we’re all in this together,” says Gwen Tan. “There’s no running away.”
In those moments, she believes sport offers a quiet but powerful refuge. “There’s no agenda when you step onto the court,” she says. “No politics, no economics—just being active, being healthy, and being together.”
That simplicity, she adds, has helped Tennis 360 become a kind of anchor for many. “We just want to provide a space where people feel at home,” she says.
Beyond passion
For Gwen Tan, one of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that passion alone is enough. “Passion isn’t enough,” she says bluntly. “When things get hard, passion fades.”
What matters more, she argues, is discipline—being structured, resourceful, and consistent. “I wasn’t qualified when I started,” she admits. “But I got good at what I was doing.”
That mindset, combined with what she describes as the UAE’s culture of opportunity, made a crucial difference. “If you’re willing to work hard and stay committed, this is a place where things can happen.”
First the athlete, then the player
At its core, Tennis 360 is not just about producing better tennis players, but about developing better athletes.
For children in particular, Gwen Tan emphasises foundational movement skills such as balance, coordination, agility and spatial awareness, with the aim that even if they stop playing tennis, they leave physically stronger.
“Our philosophy is: first the athlete, then the player,” she says. “We’re shaping you for life, not just for the podium.”
Showing up again and again
Looking back, Tan credits consistency above everything else. “When the opportunity came, I could have walked away,” she says. “But I stayed, I worked, and I kept going.”
That mindset continues to define both her and the community she has built—one session, one rally, and one moment of showing up at a time. And for someone who started at 41 with no sporting background or plan, it stands as the most powerful lesson of all.
