Benjamin Hassan playing for Lebanon in the Davis Cup. Photo provided by the Lebanese Tennis Federation.
BEIRUT — Thirty-year-old Benjamin Hassan became the first Lebanese to qualify for Roland-Garros, commonly known the the French Open, on Friday, winning his qualifying match against the Japanese James Trotter in two sets (6-2, 7-6; 7-5), opening the door for him to compete in the major French competition.
Born in Germany, Hassan has brought Lebanon to tennis courts at major world competitions before, representing the country since 2018 at the Davis Cup, in 2023 at the Lisboa Belem Open and bringing Lebanon to the Olympic Games' tennis court for the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He is ranked 221st in the Roland-Garros website ranking.
Hassan came into the world of professional tennis at 26 years old, training between Germany and Lebanon with his father Zaki Hassan, who represented Lebanon at the 1996 Davis Cup and is now, conveniently, a tennis coach.
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