The WTA Tour is seeking new venues as it attempts to reconstruct its schedule in light of the ongoing absence of Chinese tournaments and the Peng Shuai scandal. Texas and Mexico have already seen new WTA 250 competitions added to their calendar this year and further statements revealed that Abu Dhabi would join the list of destinations on the professional women’s tennis circuit across the world, with women’s tennis gaining even more traction in the MENA region.
About Mubadala Abu Dhabi and WTA
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is a WTA 500 event hosted by IMG in collaboration with Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The first event will be placed from February 5th to 12th, 2024 at the International Tennis Center in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The WTA, founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King on the basis of equality, is the world leader in professional women’s sports. The WTA is one of the world’s best-known and most respected athletic organizations, with over 1,600 players from 87 nations competing for WTA ranking points and significant event trophies. Every year, the Hologic WTA Tour offers around 50 events and four Grand Slams throughout roughly 30 nations and territories.
A Great Venue To Host A Great Event
The event is being sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The Mumbala Investments Company, a state-owned company in the United Arab Emirates, is also a sponsor. Zayed Sports City, a sports complex that holds five thousand seats, will be home to the 2024 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. This will be the first-ever sanctioned WTA 500 permanent tennis competition in the emirate. The event will be held from February 5th through the 12th.
Along with over sixty singles and doubles events spread out over eight days, the competition will also include tennis-themed contests and Q&A sessions with the players.
It’s really no surprise that the WTA’s next pick for a tournament location would be one of the emirates, as the Middle East has always shown great interest in and enthusiasm for international sports, specifically tennis. Many Arab sports fans visit sites like www.7alalcasino.com to check out the latest news about sports events and add a little spice to their entertainment by checking out the best casinos with the best odds they can place their money on.
Throughout its history, the Tennis Center has been used for several tennis tournaments. For the last 15 years, it has been home to the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition tournament, and in 2021, Aryna Sabalenka won the WTA Women’s Tennis Open there.
Star Players Have Confirmed Participation
The global No. 2 WTA player, the first Tunisian Grand Slam finalist, Ons Jabeur, and many other top women’s tennis players in the world will compete in the WTA 500 tournament at the International Tennis Centre in Zayed Sports City. The eight-day WTA 500 competition will include a number of other notable athletes, including Danielle Collins, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina.
Jabeur has expressed her enthusiasm for returning to Abu Dhabi for a match. She is looking forward to continuing her winning streak in a fantastic arena where the energy and encouragement from her spectators are always outstanding. This would not be Jabeur’s first win in the Arab Emirates, as in 2021 and 2022 she triumphed in the Mubadala Tennis Championship exhibition, which was also held in Abu Dhabi.
Comments Released By Officials
The event is seen as an extension of Mubadala’s efforts to promote women’s professional tennis in Abu Dhabi, and according to WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon, due to Abu Dhabi’s strategic placement in the schedule, the tournament will be a great addition to the Middle Eastern Swing that begins with Abu Dhabi’s event the week of February 6 and continues with Qatar’s TotalEnergies Open (Doha) on February 13 and Dubai’s Duty-Free Tennis Championships the week of February 19. Mubadala has sponsored tennis on a global scale for over ten years, and locally, they sponsor the Mubadala Community Cup and the Mubadala Tennis in Schools Programs.
IMG Events President of Global Partnerships, Robbie Henchman, is excited to present the inaugural permanently sanctioned Women’s Tour tournament to Abu Dhabi. He said that Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council are the ideal collaborators in bringing the fans and their families an extraordinary global event full of exciting moments on the court and beyond.
With this debut WTA 500 circuit event, Abu Dhabi continues its worldwide support for tennis and its efforts to attract world-class events, as expressed by Homaid Al-Shimmari, Deputy Group CEO. The collaboration expands on Mubadala’s history of backing women’s professional tennis in the area and supports Deputy Group’s initiatives to encourage healthy living through physical activity.
General Secretary of the ADSC, Aref Hamad Al-Awani, was quoted as saying that the tournament is a key part of the Council’s efforts to bring athletic championships to the area and to encourage young people. The inaugural tournament, which serves as a testament to Abu Dhabi’s prowess as hosts and coordinators, will undoubtedly be magnificent, participants may be sure of that.
About IMG
IMG is a worldwide sports, fashion, events, and media company. The organization represents some of the world’s most famous athletes and fashion icons; owns and organizes hundreds of live events each year, and is a prominent independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also offers licensing, sports training, and league development services. Endeavor, a worldwide sports and entertainment corporation, owns IMG.
Tickets and Pricing
Tickets start at $13.61 for adults, and the whole tournament package is discounted by 15% for the WTA’s 50th anniversary. For the first four days, children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult ticketholder will get free admission.