Today's Edition
RABI HAMAMSAH (ABU DHABI)
Building on the success of 2023’s event, the main draw at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open began on Monday with the participation of international women tennis players.
The Women Tennis Association (WTA) 500 tournament on the prestigious annual calendar brings together the best women players in the world to Abu Dhabi for nine days of action.
It takes place on outdoor hardcourts and was introduced in 2021 during COVID times before taking a break and coming back stronger last year at the Zayed Sports City’s International Tennis Centre.
This year’s instalment, presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, brings 28 players (singles draw) and 16 teams (doubles draw), all competing for the title along with highly sought-after ranking points.
Among the top tennis players taking part in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open are, the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (No. 4) as the top seed, alongside fellow top-10 players Ons Jabeur (No. 6) and Barbora Krejcikova (No. 10).
In an interview with Aletihad, Krejcikova said that she is looking forward to starting the competition and facing the best players all the way. It is a tournament that can set her up nicely for the next engagement – the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – where she is the defending champion.
“It is good to be back in the UAE. I mean, last year I won the Dubai tournament. So it’s a different tournament, different venue, different conditions, but I’m definitely looking forward to playing the tournament,’’ she added.
When asked about her career and preparations, she said: “I think that my start of the season was good. I think I did quite well in Australia. I think the quarterfinals is a nice result to start the season.”
“I feel that I’m improving with every day that I’m on the board and I’m really happy with that. Obviously, this is an Olympic year. I’m just wondering how big of a goal is this for you and how does it fit in? Because it’s going to be a tricky schedule and change of service.’’
Krejcikova was coached by Ales Kartus and started playing tennis at the age of six and was later trained and mentored by WTA legend Jana Novotna. She is one of the few players to have done equally well in singles and doubles, handling the workload well. The Czech and 2021 French Open champion reached a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world while also being world No. 1 in doubles with seven titles. She has all four Grand Slams covered in the doubles trophies.
Once a highly ranked junior, she won the girls’ doubles titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open with Katerina Siniakova.
Krejcikova also elaborated on her participation in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and how it will benefit her career. “If you play these categories, these big tournaments, it’s usually packed and usually the best players are playing. I don’t really mind. I actually haven’t seen the draw. I don’t know who I’m playing against. So, I just really enjoy that I’m here and I try to practise hard every day and then I try to also help with the promotion of the women’s tennis and of the tournament and everything.”
“I’m just going to look at my opponents closer to my match day. I will try to get all the points I need from this tournament and enjoy the tennis matches,’’ she said.
