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ABU DHABI – World No. 1 tennis star and Spanish teenage star Carlos Alcalás will make his Middle East debut this December at the 14th Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi.
The Spaniard, who won the US Open last month and became the youngest person to top the ATP world rankings, will play at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi from December 16 to 18.
Alcaraz, who turns 19 in May, will lead a squad of six of the world’s best men’s players at the Mubadala event in Abu Dhabi.
The top male stars will be joined by women’s world No. 2 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia and No. 1 Emma Raducanu of the UK.
Jaber, who reached the final at Wimbledon and the US Open this year, will play a one-off women’s singles match against last year’s US Open champion Radukanu on the opening day of the Mubadala event.
Alcalás’ victory at Flushing Meadows in September was his sixth ATP Tour singles title and his fifth in 2022.
For the first time at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, he will follow in the footsteps of superstars like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and his heroes — and five Champion in the UAE capital – Rafael Nadal.
“I can’t wait to play at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi,” Alcalás said. “I’ve seen a lot of players take part in the tournament and everyone is really looking forward to it.”
Championship owner Flash Entertainment has confirmed that two more six-man men’s lineups will be announced in the coming days, reiterating its commitment to bringing the biggest and best players in the sport to the region. Alcalás certainly fits that bill.
“World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has had an incredible year after becoming Rio’s youngest ATP 500 champion in February and winning the U.S. Open a few weeks ago,” Flash Entertainment CEO John Lickrish said.
“MWTC has a history of bringing top players to Abu Dhabi; this is a promise we made to tennis fans in the region, we never had any doubts and we have delivered on that promise again.
“There is no doubt that spectators will be delighted to see Carlos play here for the first time, and we are delighted to see such an impressive range of young talent and a new generation of superstars in the Championship.”
Even before winning his maiden Grand Slam at the US Open last month, Alcaraz was considered the next big thing in tennis.
The Spaniard also became the first teenager to win a Grand Slam since his idol Nadal won the French Open in 2005.
Alcaraz is sure to be the biggest draw of the event celebrating its 14th year this December.
The first Mubadala World Tennis Championships took place in 2009, when British icon Murray defeated Nadal in an epic three-set final.
Former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Murray won the event again in 2015.
But Nadal and Djokovic dominated the event, with the Spanish legend winning the title five times and his great Serbian rival four.
Alcaraz will surely want to mark his debut with a title before heading to Australia for next season’s first major.
Tickets for the event can be purchased on the official website of the event www.mubadalawtc.com.
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