This city is where professional tennis never sleeps

(Getty)

The packed schedule of professional tennis has been a hot topic among players, fans, and the media.

Those finishing after the ATP Finals this week have around six weeks until the Australian summer, while those playing Davis Cup have just over a month.

But there's one city in the world that has no concerns about a crowded calendar. 

Since January 6, this location has had a men's professional tennis tournament every single week of 2025.

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It truly is a place where professional tennis never sleeps.

It is the city of Monastir in Tunisia.

Why Monastir?

Tunisia is no stranger to the world of hosting tournaments, with ITF events appearing there for decades.

They've also hosted WTA 250 tournaments and an ATP Challenger; however, hosting a tournament in one city all year-round is a new approach.

Monastir's year-round run comes down to climate, geography, and logistics.

It lies on the central coast of Tunisia, attracting tourists to its many resorts, including the host of the tournaments: Hotel Magic Life Family Skanes

The weather there stays mild enough for outdoor hard courts even through winter, giving the ITF a reliable 12-month venue.

Its position on the Mediterranean makes it a cheap and short trip from Europe, while also opening the door for players from Africa and the Middle East who have limited access to professional events.

And to make it even easier, there is an airport literally across the road from the resort.

For players chasing matches or rebuilding confidence, it becomes one of the most cost-effective bases on the ITF Tour.

It also supports the ITF's aim of developing tennis in North Africa and beyond.

The player experience

Players tend to set up camp for long periods of weeks and even months to play the tournaments.

Many Australian players make the voyage as well, including 21-year-old Lachlan Vickery.

The Rockhampton-based player says the tournaments are a cost-effective way to play on the circuit.

"If you stay for a lengthy period, they make it a bit cheaper, which can help save a fair bit," he told The First Serve.

"Then you aren't just spending so much money on flights every week or second week and [additional] accommodation."

The resort itself is not a bad place to spend time.

It has four on-site restaurants, a private beach, pools, a gym, and, of course, the tennis facilities on site.

However, being week-in-week-out in the one venue almost goes against the grain of what players are used to.

"Staying in the same place for a while does become a bit of a mental battle at times," Vickery said.

"Trying to stay focused as stuff just gets repetitive.

"But the players have access to the resort like a holiday, so we can use pools and the slides and all the other things they have there, which can help a bit to change it up and just help you reset for the next tournament."

He says the facilities are solid but busy.

"The eight tennis courts are great, but it can be tough to book a practice court at times," he explained.

"And the resort helps with water, giving free bottles to the players upon request."

With so many players on-site, the gym can get so crowded that you have to "walk sideways", and some of the additional services, like ice baths and saunas, come at a cost to the players. 

But other than that, Vickery admits that the "rooms are good and food is good."

While outside the tournament schedule, there isn’t much for players to do. 

"You can go out to the city and go to markets," he said. 

"But other than that, it’s just play, train, recover, and repeat."

A development route

Outside the logistics, Vickery went on to say that Monastir offers a chance for more players to have their professional tennis breakthrough.

"The tournaments are a great opportunity for people to get into their first futures as it is a 64-size draw [for qualifiers]," he said.

"A lot of college players go there during the summer break to get a lot of matches with just tournament after tournament."

It's certainly not only a college summer break destination, however.

The draws often include players from countries not usually seen on the circuit, including Libya, Iran, Kuwait, Senegal, Burundi, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia.

In saying that, it's also a breeding ground for players from the region to step up to their next level.

The host nation is known for its top women's player, Ons Jabeur, but they've struggled on the men's circuit.

The now-retired Malek Jaziri reached No.42 just before his 35th birthday in 2019 and got his start on the Tunisian futures circuit in the mid-2000s.

Now, a new crop of players are making progress.

Moez Echargui is 32 years old and reached a career high of No.137 this week.

It comes off a year with six titles in Monastir, which eventually led to him winning his first (of three) Challenger titles on the circuit and an ATP Tour main draw debut.

Aziz Dougas also reached his career high of No.185 in 2025 and claimed a Monastir title win.

But it's not only the Tunisians.

Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria's top players regularly play Monastir to boost their ranking.

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For sub-Saharan Africa, Senegal's Seyinda Andre became the first man from his country to win an ITF title at Monastir in 2023 and continued his good form there with a runner-up finish in 2025.

Outside the region, the tournament attracted names in 2025, including regular Grand Slam players such as Britain's Liam Broady and France's Laurent Lokoli.

Australia has also tasted success with Jacob Bradshaw winning his second ITF title there in October.

Vickery's breakthrough

The set-up of Monastir and the opportunities provided clearly worked for Vickery. His first stint there was in June 2024 as a means to turn around a patch of poor results.

"I was struggling in Australia to find some good level as I wasn't getting enough matches, just losing first round, which wasn't good for my confidence," he said.

The first week in Tunisia, he qualified for his first-ever ITF main draw, then repeated the result the second week before getting his major breakthrough.

After battling through the usual three matches of qualifying, he won his first-round match to earn his first-ever ATP point.

Then, after six weeks, he finished with 13 wins, six losses, a career achievement and a newfound confidence.

Clearly, the set-up in Monastir suited him.

"I feel like it worked for me as it was something different, so I was able to relax a bit more with no expectations," he shared.

"Winning my first ATP point will be a memory that I'll remember forever for sure."

Monastir as a launching pad

Vickery's results in Monastir gave him a lift, but he knows the development of his career is still a work in progress.

"The first couple of years [on tour] have been an eye opener for sure," he stated.

"I realised what I need to improve to win more matches consistently, and I realised how expensive it really is now with all the flying and accommodation."

He's still rebuilding after early setbacks in his career, including being a victim of a hit-and-run in January 2023, which required months of surgery, physio and recovery. 

"I didn't find a good level again until I went to Monastir in 2024," he said.

"I did think about quitting a few times to be honest, but stuck it out and got some good results, thankfully."

Monastir was the perfect situation to provide Vickery the consistency and match volume he needed to move forward again.

And he's far from alone.

Every week in Monastir, you'll find players returning from injury, restarting after long breaks, stepping up from juniors, or coming from countries with limited access to tournaments. They come because they can settle in one place, cut down the financial strain, and trust that they'll play matches every single week without the churn of constant travel.

That's what makes Monastir so important.

It's not the resort or the novelty of the year-round calendar. Instead, it's the role it plays as a reliable, affordable base where players can rebuild confidence, regain rhythm, and restart their careers before heading back out onto the wider circuit.

It may be the place where professional tennis never sleeps, but it’s also where players rebuild their dreams.

The legendary Kooyong Classic returns to the Australian summer of tennis in 2026 – 13^th-15^th January at the spiritual home of Australian tennis. The big names are coming – Rune, Musetti, Bublik, Khachanov, Berrettini and more. 

For all ticket and corporate hospitality enquiries head to www.kooyongclassic.com.au