In February 2005, tennis legends Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an iconic promotional match on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.
The exhibition match (or 20 minute hit) was designed to generate global attention for the upcoming Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open tennis tournament. The hotel’s helipad was temporarily transformed into the world’s highest tennis court for the occasion.
The unique court was a circular, 4,467-square-foot platform situated 211 meters (roughly 692 feet) above the Persian Gulf. The two athletes engaged in an informal rally for about 20 minutes as part of the marketing effort.
Both players shared their candid reactions to the height. Agassi later admitted to being “scared,” while Federer noted the unusual sensation that the tennis ball travelled exceptionally high when tossed for a serve due to the lack of surrounding structures.
The imagery from the match had a massive impact, going viral long before social media as we know it existed. The memorable photos and videos became one of the most famous and “surreal” moments in sports marketing history, helping to establish Dubai’s reputation as a prominent destination for major global sporting events.
