By: Justin Cohen
A pair of former World No. 1s took center stage at the 2nd Annual Baha Mar Cup at the Baha Mar Racquet Club in The Bahamas on November 6. Andy Roddick and Victoria Azarenka headlined the Pro-Am tennis event, which raised funds for the Baha Mar Resort Foundation and the Mark Knowles Children’s Tennis Initiative. Knowles–the former No.1 ranked doubles player and three-time major champion from The Bahamas–was also joined by tennis legends and media personalities James Blake, Patrick McEnroe, and Cliff Drysdale. ESPN’s Chris McKendry emceed the event.
The action-packed day of tennis kicked off with a Youth Clinic, before the tennis stars paired up with the participants for 15-minute doubles matches on the hard courts. Following the on-court portion of the event, participants and their guests were treated to lunch with a variety of dishes including chicken, pasta, salad, and every type of chocolate dessert imaginable.
The evening portion of the Pro-Am was hosted by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson at his new restaurant, Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House. Then, after a networking style happy hour, the Taste of Marcus kicked-off its 4-course meal with Bluefield Farm Greens salad with shaved vegetables and passionate vinaigrette. Grilled snapper with coconut curry, black garlic rice and bok choy was the first entrée provided to the guests, followed by New York Strip Sirloin with a truffle gratin and creamed kale. The dessert was Caribbean Chocolate featuring whipped ganache, dacquoise sponge, homemade praline and berbere spice candied.
During dinner, Knowles spoke about his passion for raising money through the Baha Mar Cup to allow the children of The Bahamas the opportunity to learn the game of tennis. Each of the participating pros shared stories from their many years traveling the world competing in the biggest tournaments on tour. Blake, for instance, spoke about his post-career life as a father and his role as the Miami Open’s Tournament Director. Milos Raonic–a 2016 Wimbledon finalist and a resident of New Providence, Bahamas–made a special appearance and discussed his powerful serve and why it is important to begin points with such a strong weapon.
Following the world-class dinner, Junkanoo dancers performed and led the guests on a memorable dance party throughout the restaurant. Junkanoo is a street style parade with music, dance and costumes of African origin that many Caribbean countries use as a celebration for special holidays.
Baha Mar Cup participants were also treated to a one-of-kind food and music event — the Taste of SLS Baha Mar. The event, which took place on November 5, featured dining experiences with award-winning culinary chefs from famed restaurants such as Cleo, Carna by Dario Cecchini, Fi’lia and Katsuya. From Caviarto burgers to tuna, guests had an endless number of options to choose from. The evening ended with a special 45-minute performance by singer, songwriter, humanitarian, and philanthropist John Legend.
Participants and their guests stayed at the world-famous Rosewood Baha Mar, a modern 230-room Bahamian beachfront property with luxurious amenities, contemporary beach cottages interiors, 5-star dining experiences, private beach access and an indulgent spa along 3,000 feet of pristine white sand along the stunning Cable Beach.
