British champions will descend on Abu Dhabi in December.
Andy Murray has signed on to complete the eight-man lineup for the 13th Mubadala World Tennis Championship. The exhibition event returns December 16-18th at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Murray joins compatriot Emma Raducanu in Abu Dhabi.
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Former world No. 1 Murray returns to action 12 years after his victory in the inaugural Abu Dhabi event. Murray, MWTC champion in 2009 and 2015, joins a field featuring three of the world’s top 10 male players: Andrey Rublev; Rafael Nadal and Scandinavian star Casper Ruud, fresh off his run to the final four at the ATP Finals in Turin. With Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov and 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem also lining up, this year’s Championship also boasts five of the world’s top 15.
“I’ve got many happy memories of Abu Dhabi and I’m looking forward to returning.” Murray said. ““With Emma (Raducanu) also playing on day one, we will be flying the flag for British tennis and looking to put on a strong display.”
Day 1 ticketholders will see Casper Ruud take on Denis Shapovalov in the Championship’s opening match on December 16th. That will be followed by Dominic Thiem’s return to competitive tennis when he takes on three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray. A festive Day 1 will be closed by the much-anticipated women’s match between US Open champion Emma Raducanu and Tokyo Olympics singles gold medallist Belinda Bencic, a rematch of their US Open quarterfinal, which Raducanu won en-route to her fairytale Grand Slam victory in New York.
Day 2, on Friday, December 17th, will see World No.6 and defending champion Rafa Nadal and World No.5 Andrey Rublev enter the Championship when they face the winners of the Day 1 men’s matches in the semifinals, after the fifth-place play-off. Rublev will face the winner of Ruud and Shapovalov, while five-time winner Nadal will take on either Thiem or Murray in a blockbuster match. The final day of the three-day festival will see a third-place play-off followed by the final.
Organizers say “in line with the latest government guidelines the Championship will welcome fans and spectators with green status on the Al Hosn app and a negative PCR test result with 96-hour validity across three days of exciting tennis action, in a safe and secure environment.”
Premier Hospitality tickets are available, offering fans a premium F&B menu and courtside seating providing prime viewing and an unparalleled experience. More details are available on www.mubadalawtc.com.
Photo credit: www.mubadalawtc.com