Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2017: Players, dates, tickets and all you need to know

World No 1 Nadal returns to defend his title for the 10th edition of the tournament at Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi.

Novak Djokovic headlines the 2017 Mubadala World Tennis Championship line-up. Paul White / AP Photo

Ahead of the 10th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC), here is everything you need to know about the 2017 tournament.

What is it? 

The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is an invitational six-player tournament with a winner-takes-all prize. Since 2009, the tournament has been used by some of the best players in the world as a tune-up ahead of the new season.

Where is it?

The International Tennis Stadium at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

When is it?

December 28-30

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Read more:

• MWTC 2017: Kevin Anderson and Andrey Rublev replace Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic
• Novak Djokovic: MWTC the ideal prep ahead of tilt at seventh Australian Open title
• Rafael Nadal: Return to Abu Dhabi the 'perfect bookend' for a successful year

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Six players? How does that work?

The four lowest ranked players play quarter-final matches on the first day, with the two highest ranked players receiving byes and awaiting the winners in the semi-finals.

What is the winner-takes-all prize?

The champion will take home a cool $250,000 (Dh918,000). Not bad for three days work!

Who is competing in 2017?

This year's event is headlined by 12-time grand slam champion and former world No 1 Novak Djokovic, who is making his way back from a long-term injury lay-off. The Serbian superstar will be joined by world No 5 Dominic Thiem, world No 10 Pablo Carreno Busta, US Open finalist Kevin Anderson, Russian Next Gen star Andrey Rublev, and world No 20 Roberto Bautista Agut.  Anderson, Rublev and Bautista Agut are late additions to the line-up after Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic, and Rafael Nadal withdrew.

What is the draw?

Action starts on December 28 with the two quarter-finals. On December 29, the two quarter-final losers will kick off the action with the fifth-place play-off before the semi-finals are contested between the two quarter-final winners and the awaiting two top seeds. On Saturday, December 30 the third-place play-off begins the last day before the final at 7pm. Given the late withdrawals of three original players, the draw is set to be updated. Once we have the update, we will let you know.

What else is going on at MWTC?

Apart from watching world-class tennis, there will be plenty going on. As well as activities set up by sponsors, some of the players will be leading coaching clinics for kids, and hosting autograph and Q&A sessions. There will also be food and drinks stalls throughout the tennis village.

Are tickets still available?

They certainly are. Tickets for children start at Dh50 and Dh250 for adults. For more ticket information and to purchase, visit www.ticketmaster.ae. For any more information about the tournament visit www.mubadalawtc.com.