Andrey Rublev to defend his Mubadala World Tennis Championship crown

ABU DHABI: Andrey Rublev will return to Abu Dhabi in December to defend his Mubadala World Tennis Championship title, organizers have confirmed.

He is the latest star to join the six-player male lineup at the MWTC from Dec. 16 to 18 that includes world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and regular Slam finalist Casper Ruud, with three more big-name players expected to be unveiled soon.

The 24-year-old, who has reached a career-high ranking of No. 5, secured his first MWTC title with a straight sets victory over Andy Murray at the International Tennis Center in Zayed Sports City last December.

Rublev has 11 ATP Tour singles titles and three doubles titles to his credit. He won the mixed doubles gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam five times, including at this year’s French and US Opens.

Fans will have the chance to catch two of the best women’s players on the tournament’s first day, with world No. 2 US Open finalist and defending MWTC champion Ons Jabeur taking on 2021 US Open Champion and British No. 1 Emma Raducanu.

“Last year’s event was memorable, firstly to see the return of the championship after the rebound of live events and, secondly, because of the top-class tennis on display. Andrey was a worthy winner so it’s great that we have secured his return alongside the next generation of superstars Carlos, Casper, Ons and Emma. The 14th edition is shaping up to be a very exciting three days of action on and off the court,” said John Lickrish, CEO, Flash Entertainment.

The Arabian Gulf’s leading tennis experience will also bring its traditional mix of interactive activities, and player meet-and-greets.

Tickets start from AED95