Jabeur and Osaka in doubles pair at Abu Dhabi tournament

Ons Jabeur and Naomi Osaka will bring some star power to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open doubles competition after it was announced the pair were awarded a wildcard.

The second year of the tournament gets under way with the singles qualifying rounds on Saturday and runs until the final on February 11. Jabeur and Osaka will both have plans to reach next Sunday’s singles title match, but they will now also aim for doubles glory together.

While the singles tournament is the primary focus, the doubles event will surely generate more interest this year with the presence of two of the game’s biggest stars.

Jabeur, 29, has been making history for Arab and African tennis throughout her career and as such is one of the most popular players in the region. The Tunisian became the highest-ever ranked Arab or African player – male or female – when she reached a career-high No 2, and she is the first Arab to reach a Grand Slam final, which she has achieved three times.

Osaka is a similar trailblazer for Japanese tennis. By winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2018, at the age of 20, Osaka became the first major champion from Japan.

When she won her second major title, at the 2019 Australian Open, Osaka became the first Asian player to hold the WTA Tour’s No 1 ranking.

Osaka once again completed the US Open-Australian Open double in 2020 and 2021 to solidify her status as one of the finest players of her generation. The 26-yearold has just begun her comeback after taking the whole of the 2023 season off to have a baby.

While both players are more commonly known for their singles careers, Osaka has competed in the women’s doubles at all four Grand Slam tournaments, while Jabeur has played in the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Jabeur previously partnered 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the doubles competition at Eastbourne in 2022, where they reached the semi-finals.

The exact schedule for when Jabeur and Osaka will take to the court together will be revealed once the draw takes place on Saturday. Like the singles tournament, the doubles event begins on Monday.

As one of the seeded players, world No 6 Jabeur will begin her singles campaign in the second round on Wednesday, while Osaka, who received a wildcard into the main draw, will be in first-round action on either Monday or Tuesday.

Jabeur and Osaka will be part of a competitive singles line-up in Abu Dhabi, which comprises 10 of the world’s top 20 players.