Jabeur and Osaka to play doubles together at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

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 edition of the tournament gets under way with the singles qualifying rounds on Saturday and runs until the final on Sunday, 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. Among her many milestones, 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-year-old has just begun her comeback after taking the whole of the 2023 season off to have a baby. She gave birth to her daughter last July.

While both players are more commonly known for their singles careers, Osaka has competed in the women’s doubles at all four