Cameron Norrie has become the fifth man, and seventh player overall, confirmed for next month's Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) in Abu Dhabi, organisers confirmed on Tuesday.
Norrie, Britain's top-ranked player, joins world No 1 and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, Norwegian world No 4 Casper Ruud, US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe of the United States, and Russia's defending champion Andrey Rublev in the six-man tournament.
The one-off women's match will be contested by Tunisian world No 2 Ons Jabeur and 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu of Britain.
The 14th edition of MWTC takes place December 16-18 at Zayed Sports City's International Tennis Centre.
“I am excited for December, after seeing the impressive line-up for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship,” Norrie, 27, said. “I’ve never played in Abu Dhabi before so I am sure it will be a memorable experience and I’m looking forward to meeting my fans there, competing against some of the best names in tennis, and, of course, spending some time in the city.”
Norrie, the world No 13, has enjoyed another successful season following his breakthrough year in 2021. He has won two ATP Tour titles – in Delray Beach and Lyon – and reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon.
That followed a 2021 that saw Norrie surge up the world rankings: having started that season ranked No 74, he ended the year at No 12 following triumphs at Los Cabos and Indian Wells, where he won his first Masters 1000 title. In September of this year, Norrie reached a career-high No 8.
“We continue to deliver on our promise to get the best names in tennis to participate in the UAE capital for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and I have no doubt fans will love this year’s roster, which promises the chance to see this new generation of tennis stars – including the top-ranked male and female in Great Britain,” said John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment, the tournament's owners.
“Cameron Norrie is coming off the best season of his professional career, and I am sure that the tennis fans in the Gulf will be looking forward to seeing him in Abu Dhabi. We are excited to seeing him play in the UAE and witness the support he is sure to be shown inside the International Tennis Centre this December.”
The tournament will deliver its usual format which will see Day 1 host the quarter-final matches, followed by the women's match between Jabeur and Raducanu. The quarter-final winners will then progress to Day 2's semi-finals where the top two seeds, having received byes, await. The second day will also host the fifth-place playoff.
Day 3 will then begin with the third-place playoff followed by the final and trophy ceremony.
Tickets start from Dh95 for children and Dh195 for adults and can be purchased on the event’s official website.
It has also been announced that the Day 3 matches will take place earlier than usual to ensure fans are able to watch the 2022 World Cup final, which is scheduled to take place at 7pm UAE time.
