The Mubadala World Tennis Championship made a welcome return at the International Tennis Centre, at Zayed Sports City, in Abu Dhabi, with the star-studded line-up engaging with fans on and off court on Day 1 of the three-day festival.
It was game on in the MWTC Tennis Village as soon as the doors opened, with tennis fans eager to soak up the special atmosphere of the Arabian Gulf’s leading professional tennis experience once again, which is back for its 13thedition with full capacity.
Fans flocked to quiz their favourite players in a series of Q&A sessions, while lucky visitors and Mubadala Community Cup (MCC) presented by Healthpoint players got the chance to join the stars on court for a tennis clinic.
STARS SHOW THE WAY
US No.1 Taylor Fritz, British star Dan Evans and world No.5 Andrey Rublev were among the stars to host clinics on Day 1, offering advice and sharing tips and tricks with aspiring tennis players.
The players didn’t have it all their own way, however. During his clinic, Rublev challenged youngsters to stay focused, with any player who missed the ball having to sit on the floor for the remainder of the game. However, the gameplan backfired on the Russian ace as he missed one ball and was forced to take his place on the floor!
BENCIC HOLDS COURT
Tokyo Olympics singles gold medal winner Belinda Bencic took time out of her preparation ahead of her match with Ons Jabeur to speak with fans in the Village, where she recalled memories of her 2021 “highlight moment” in Japan and shared her goals for the new season.
“I would say it was (winning Olympic medal) the highlight of my career, I don’t think there was anything bigger than playing in the Olympics; I was super excited about it. I played some good tennis and I hope I can continue like that next season.
“I still have goals and dreams and hopefully one day I can try and get close to a Grand Slam.”
NET SOME FUN
There’s something for everyone in the Tennis Village, especially young fans. A colouring wall allows ticketholders to paint caricatures of previous MWTC winners, including Rafael Nadel, Andy Murray, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Kevin Anderson, and Jelena Ostapenko.
A dedicated Kids Corner features several fun activities and games with prizes on offer, while caricature artist, Miguel, is sketching images of fans passing by.
Tickets for the remaining two days of the Championship, which runs until 18 December, starting from AED 100 for Adults and AED 50 for children are available from ticketmaster.ae or Virgin Megastores across the UAE.
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