Mubadala World Tennis Championship the perfect gateway tournament for players and fans alike

Credit must go to organisers who have consistently attracted top talent to Abu Dhabi

Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after winning the final match against South African Kevin Anderson at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2018. EPA

Spain's Rafael Nadal poses with the trophy after defeating Belgium's David Goffin in the final match of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2016. AFP

Hyeon Chung will be appearing at MWTC 2019. As an unseeded player, the 23-year-old became the first South Korean to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the 2018 Australian Open. Getty

Russia's Andrey Rublev, 22, is another of the next generation appearing at Mubadala. EPA

Karen Khachanov, another Russian, has won four ATP singles titles as he heads for the MWTC. Getty

Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas has already made the breakthrough, and at 21 is the youngest player ranked in the world top ten. He won the ATP Finals in London last month. PA

Maria Sharapova, the former world No 1, will be playing Ajla Tomljanovic. AFP

Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia will be playing Maria Sharapova. AFP

It really is a great time of year to be in Abu Dhabi. Not only is the weather the envy of many parts of the world, but this week we will get an exclusive sneak peek at how some of the best tennis players on the planet are shaping up ahead of the new season.

This has been the case since January 2009 when the first World Tennis Championship was launched, pitting six of the ATP Tour’s biggest stars against each other in a three-day exhibition tournament that has been played with the sort of intensity and competitiveness not usually reserved for unofficial events.

The tournament’s place in the calendar certainly has a lot to do with that. The Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) – renamed after Mubadala took over as title sponsors from the third edition onwards – is held towards the back end of the off-season as players aim to get in peak condition for the start of the next campaign.

It is also often the first and only opportunity for players to measure their games against top rivals in a competitive environment before the official action begins, and as such they compete at close to their optimal level.

The tournament’s appeal has not been lost on the biggest stars, with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic regular visitors to Abu Dhabi, while Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Stan Wawrinka have all competed at MWTC.

Credit, therefore, must go to the organisers who have consistently attracted top talent to ensure MWTC grows from strength to strength. Not content with settling for a working formula, the addition of a women’s match was a masterstroke, particularly as the inaugural match in 2017 featured the return of the great Serena Williams after her lengthy absence to give birth to her first child.

The 2019 tournament is no different and arguably boasts the most exciting line-up in recent years. Headlined by Nadal and defending champion Djokovic – both of whom have won a joint-record four MWTC titles – the men’s event will also feature one of the leading lights of the next generation, ATP Finals champion and world No 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The trio are joined by three future stars in world No 17 Karen Khachanov, world No 23 Andrey Rublev, and former world No 19 Chung Hyeon – looking to climb back up the rankings after an injury-disrupted 2019.

The women’s match is led by one of the sport’s biggest superstars of this generation, five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova, who will play Australian prospect Ajla Tomljanovic. How about that for an assembly of tennis talent?

As an unofficial tournament, the players themselves are in a far more relaxed and approachable mood at MWTC, leading coaching clinics and hosting autograph sessions and generally contributing to the overall feel-good atmosphere around the Tennis Village. The fact that this year’s event is held for the first time before Christmas, we can expect a bit of festive cheer thrown into the mix.

With the ATP and WTA tennis seasons once again on the horizon, MWTC has firmly established itself as a welcome gateway tournament for players and fans alike. Long may it continue.