Rashid Hassan Tennis Center opens in Monroeville

Rashid Hassan has trained top-level junior tennis players through his tennis academy for more than two decades.

Without a place to call his own, he often would be at the mercy of another facility to rent space and time. Despite that, he said, he always was grateful for the opportunities to train up-and-coming players and help get them to the next level.

“All I’ve done is rented space at different places such as Edgewood Country Club and the Murrysville Racquet Club,” said Hassan, a native of Zimbabwe and a Monroeville resident who excelled in tennis at the Division I collegiate level before turning pro.

“It was getting to the point where I was putting in so much time and effort that I wanted to get my own space and start to build from there. In renting time and space, you are only allotted so much because there are other people who want to use those courts.

“Right about the time that covid hit, it was time to think about building our own place and a home for the kids. The kids would follow us around wherever we would go. It was important for us to have our own spot for them to train.”

Hope soon turned to action. And after a year of construction along Wyngate Drive in Monroeville, the Rashid Hassan Tennis Center opened its doors last month.

“With us here, we dictate how much time we want to be on the court and how much time we want to give,” he said.

“That allows us that flexibility. That is the biggest thing. This is a place the kids can call their own. It was an awesome feeling for them.”

Hassan said the project, from its genesis, was quite a learning process.

“Whatever time you think things should get done, they don’t,” he said.

“Dealing with different contractors and issues that would come up throughout the process, I realized that we had to be patient and know it would get done. We let things flow.”

Hassan said there still are a few things that need sorting out, but there is time to take care of that.

Thirty to 40 student-athletes train at the facility each day.

“Kids will do AP and honors courses in the morning and come in to train around noon,” Hassan said.

“Others at this level will come in at around 3 and continue training into the evening. We all gather together over the weekend.”

Hassan said he still gets chills when he sees the building that houses his academy and training courts.

“I did driving up this morning,” he said. “We didn’t realize how massive a project it was until it was done because we were trying to go day by day and chisel away at stuff. When we saw it completed, we were like, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ I come in and see these kids playing on the four courts and benefiting from the facility; it is so special. I absolutely love teaching and taking these kids to the next level.”

Carnegie Mellon has used Hassan’s facility for practices and matches, and Hassan said Slippery Rock has scheduled time to bring players down for a workout.

Hassan said it also is ready to host USTA tournaments and adult play and leagues. It will be available for school districts in the spring to use the court for practice or matches.

“It is really nice to play somewhere new and fresh,” said Logan Memije, a junior on the WPIAL-power Gateway boys tennis team.

The Gators, who won the 2023 WPIAL Class 3A team title, begin official PIAA-sanctioned preseason training March 3. Logan Memije and seniors Adam Memije and Zidaan Hassan already have logged many hours playing and training on the new courts.

“We were limited in when and where we could train before,” said Logan Memije, who has worked with Rashid Hassan since 2017.

“Now that we have these new indoor courts, we don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to play. We’ve all been through this journey together. I am so happy for Rashid. This has always been a dream for him. Just in the small amount of time he’s had these courts, he’s been thriving.”

Hassan said the public is invited to check out the facility and ask questions at an open house Feb. 27 starting at 5:30 p.m.

“Kids will still be playing while everyone is walking around and checking everything out,” Hassan said. “It should be a fun evening.”