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THE WORLD’S MOST PROMISING UP-AND-COMING TENNIS STARS WILL BE BATTLING IT OUT WITH SOME WORLDCLASS NAMES IN ABU DHABI THIS MONTH
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is back with an all-star line-up
There’s little question that, since its launch in 2009, the capital’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship has become a calendar highlight for the UAE’s tennis fans.
Held at the purpose-built International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, the Mubadala World Tennis Championship offers its spectators the equivalent of a Grand Slam quarter-final. Due to its placement at the onset of the calendar year, the tournament is widely recognised as a warm-up for the year’s ATP hopefuls before the official start of the Grand Slam season at the Australian Open on January 14, 2019.
South African Kevin Anderson beat Bautista Agut to win the tournament last year, and he returns to the capital hoping to retain the title. He’s got stiff competition, though. Tennis heavyweights Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are both taking part in the tournament this month, keen to make up for last year’s last-minute withdrawals from injury. New kids on the block Dominic Thiem, Karen Khachanov and Hyeon Chung make up the remaining six-man line-up, while legendary player Venus Williams makes her Abu Dhabi debut against an as-yet-unconfirmed opponent. An impressive line-up for a so-called exhibition tournament, but with Dhs1 million in prize money up for grabs, it’s not a competition the sport’s biggest names will be taking lightly.
International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, Dhs100 to Dhs1,795. Tel: (800) 86823. mubadalawtc.com