In the world of beach tennis, even if you can’t pinpoint Aruba’s exact coordinates on the globe, you probably still know the name Aksel Samardzic.

The top player in a nation obsessed with beach tennis is determined to make Aruba not only the top destination for sports lovers, but also a major competitor on the international stage – and the spotlight has never been brighter than it will be at the ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar.

“Aruba is one happy island. That’s literally how they call Aruba. It’s our slogan,” said world No.13 Samardzic, who will partner compatriot Sander Castro, the world No.68, in the men’s doubles during the inaugural World Beach Games from October 12-16.

“For us beach tennis has grown so much that it’s actually a national sport right now. We have league matches every day and every two weekends we have tournaments. That’s how we create the level, that’s how we create players. We have the best amateur level in the world. Pro, we’re not there yet, but we’re trying to get there.

“We’re starting to put Aruba on the map. That’s the most important thing for me.”

Samardzic is one of the central figures in the sport, not only on the island with its population of 105,000 people, but also worldwide. And while now it is impossible to envisage Aruba’s beach tennis without its talisman, Samardzic initially devoted himself to another sport.

The 26-year-old was a professional football player until a knee surgery prompted him to look for another activity. This is when he thought of taking up beach tennis competitively. A natural athlete with good coordination, Samardzic made quick progress on the sand and was soon representing Aruba on the world stage.

“I reached the quarterfinals in my first tournament and I was like, ‘OK, let’s see where this goes’,” Samardzic said.

Now a regular feature at international competitions, Samardzic reached his career’s best result at the 2019 ITF Beach Tennis World Championships in Terracina, Italy, where he advanced to the semifinals in a pairing with Venezuela’s Ramon Guedez.

While Samardzic’s individual results often break the Top 10 mark, the results of Aruba’s team are still lacking. This is where Samardzic, who has been a playing captain on the national squad for two seasons, steps up as a genuine leader.

Samardzic’s work ethic at the 2019 ITF Beach Tennis World Team Championship in Moscow, Russia was unparalleled as he tirelessly played match after match, following up men’s doubles with mixed doubles, and advising teammates from the bench.

Aruba had a tough streak in Moscow, finishing the tournament in 14th place, but Samardzic’s efforts sent the message that his team would not be a walkover. The thought of taking it easy and focusing on his more successful individual career was never an option, said the captain.

“It’s a different feeling when I travel for the World Team Championship and represent Aruba with the team because I know it’s harder,” Samardzic said. “But it’s important because you’re an example. We are examples for the island - to be able to put our country on the map, to show what we can do as a little island. My goal is to attract new people, young kids, to get into the sport because as the sport is growing, the level is growing.”

Samardzic is also a central figure at the Aruba Beach Tennis Open, one of the biggest events in the sport that attracts more than 1,400 players every year and helps to grow the sport’s popularity across the region.

“The tournament brings a different level to the sport,” said Samardzic, whose own matches at the Aruba Beach Tennis Open are played out in front of packed stands. “We always want to do more. The stadium gets bigger, everything gets better.

“Aruba’s trying to do their best like this so that it’s an example for the other countries.”

The tournament gives local players a rare opportunity to spar with the world’s best. Due to their remote location, players from the area often struggle to progress beyond an amateur level.

“It’s difficult because we’re in the middle of the Caribbean,” Samardzic said. “OK, you have Venezuela. You have Brazil. You can go to Miami to play, but the problem of getting outside Aruba is it’s expensive. It’s not easy for us to go because, a ticket to Miami, for example, you’re paying at least 300-400 dollars, so it ain’t easy.”

If Aruban beach tennis ever needed an ambassador, there is no one better suited than Samardzic. His individual popularity has reached such heights that even top football players answer his calls, as was the case with Dutch striker Robin van Persie.

“I met him in Aruba. We met and started talking, and I told him, ’It would be an honour for me if you would play beach tennis with us’. There were a lot of people who came and watched. It was really fun. And he had talent, let me tell you,” Samardzic said. “Even he said it’s an amazing feeling to be able to play on the beach, in the sun.”

Samardzic’s message to anybody else curious about beach tennis, whether pro footballers or not, is just as simple - go and play.

“Just try it out. I tell everybody that plays tennis, that plays volleyball, that plays any type of sport, just try it out,” he said. “It’s a team sport. It’s a fun sport. For a lot of people it fills the gap that they’re missing. They want to do something, but they don’t know what so I would say, try it out. Just try it out. Go with a couple of friends, you’ll see you get hooked right away.”