ABU DHABI // Canadian Milos Raonic has been confirmed for a return to Abu Dhabi in 2016 with the annual, season-opening Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) set for a landmark ninth edition. It will run from December 29-31.
MWTC, cemented in the UAE sports calendar, sees six of the world’s top players battle it out across three days at the International Tennis Center at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
Previous editions have welcomed the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal, the current world No 1-5 players.
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The first player of the stellar line-up to be revealed is last year’s finalist and world No 9 Raonic. After reaching the final against Nadal in his MWTC debut last year, Raonic carried on his good form to win in Brisbane before knocking former champion Wawrinka out of the 2016 Australian Open.
Raonic then advanced through to the semi-finals of the grand slam for the first time in his career, only weeks after his robust performance at MWTC.
“I am very excited to be returning to Abu Dhabi for the start of the Championship on the 29th December. I had a really enjoyable experience last year; challenging for the title in my debut outing and taking in an incredible atmosphere,” Raonic said.
“It’s a fantastic start to the season to face off against the other top players and we can all get our games going early on. Last year the tournament helped me to start the year strong and I’ll be hoping for more of the same this time around. The lineup is always challenging in Abu Dhabi but that’s one of the main attractions.
“I am already looking forward to getting back out to the UAE and meeting the fans. The tournament will be a great way to end 2016 and an even better way to start the New Year and the new season.”
The unique combination of a ‘winner takes all’ prize of US $250,000 (Dh918,237), the world’s best players, and a championship format that is the equivalent of a grand slam quarter-final is an experience not to missed. The Mubadala World Tennis Championship also boasts exciting off-court action in the Tennis Village, where players will be conducting coaching tennis clinics and signing autographs.
“Our overall objective is to create unmissable opportunities for tennis fans in the Middle East allowing them to see their favourite players going head to head in Abu Dhabi,” CEO of FLASH Entertainment John Lickrish said.
“Year on year the Mubadala World Tennis Championship delivers the very best players in a thrilling and exciting tournament format that excites crowds and TV viewers across the globe.”
Tickets to the annual Championship go on sale to the general public at noon on Tuesday, June 21 at www.ticketmaster.ae and all Virgin Megastores across the UAE. An exclusive 24 hour pre-sale starts on Monday, June 20 at noon for MWTC loyal customers, who registered their email address when purchasing a ticket to previous editions.
Tickets to the 2016 Mubadala World Tennis Championship start from Dh50 for Category 2 seating, with exclusive premier hospitality packages also available including food and limited beverage, star player meet and greets and courtside seating.
For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com and www.facebook.com/mubadalaworldtennischampionship.
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