Five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka head a star-studded line-up for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship's women's tournament as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Reigning Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini also returns to defend her crown against the world’s top 10 WTA players at the event, which starts at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on February 16.
Paolini’s incredible year has seen her tie the record for the highest-ranked Italian woman in WTA rankings history, with the world No 4 winning her second career title in Dubai, finishing as runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon, and then triumphing with Italy in doubles at both the Paris Olympics and in Malaga.
Three-time major winner Sabalenka, meanwhile, was recently voted WTA Player of the Year for the first time after winning four titles in 2024, including a second Australian Open and maiden US Open triumph. That impressive run has seen her reclaim the top ranking from Swiatek, who was beaten in straight sets by World No 3 Coco Gauff in Saudi Arabia’s season-ending WTA Finals tournament.
Ramesh Cidambi, the managing director of Dubai Duty Free and chairman of the tournament’s organising committee, spoke of his excitement at welcoming the world’s top WTA players to Dubai once more.
“This year marks an important landmark as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the WTA Championships in Dubai,” Cidambi said.
“The tournament’s elevation to permanent WTA 1000 status last year underlines the calibre of talent this competition consistently attracts and, with the world’s top 10 players now confirmed to participate, Dubai continues to solidify its status as a premier destination on the global tennis stage.”
Another former Dubai champion, Barbora Krejcikova, will feature at the tournament, as well as world No 5 Qinwen Zheng – who made history by winning China’s first tennis singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this year. Daria Kasatkina, a finalist in Dubai in 2018, and Jessica Pegula, a semi-finalist here in 2023, will also compete.
Tournament director and deputy managing director of Dubai Duty Free, Salah Tahlak added: “We are delighted to have so many of the world’s top women’s players competing in Dubai as we celebrate an incredible milestone in this tournament’s history. Our WTA event continues to grow every year and 2025 promises to be special.”
Meanwhile, a strong men’s line-up is primed for the 33rd edition of the ATP Tour tournament. The long-standing tennis championships will again run as back-to-back competitions, with the WTA week getting under way on February 16, immediately followed by the ATP event on February 24.
Tickets are available to purchase through the tournament's official site and ticketmaster.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
