Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open returns with Elena Rybakina, free day and kids entry

Dubai: Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, celebrating the best women tennis players from across the world, is returning once again to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from January 31 to February 7 2026.

One of the year's most family friendly sporting events, is offering free entry on the first day.

Saturday, January 31, will also be featuring the Draw Ceremony and will take place live on the Village Stage along with a top WTA player attending the first-round match-up announcements.

Along with that children will get free-entry from February 2 to February 4.

Things to discover

The week-long tournament has lots to offer from sport, culture, community to family events whether or not you are a tennis fan.

Tennis Village

This is the most interactive Tennis Village to date with all the activities and fun to offer. Attendees can enjoy installations like 'Ball in Your Court' and Baseline Arts workshops, to a Community Art Wall inspired by Emirati artist Mariam Al Obeidli.

• Families can enjoy classic board games like Giant Jenga, 4 in a Row, Plinko, and the Grand Slam Arcade.

• For younger children, there will be a dedicated Kids' Play area.

• Fans of sports can challenge themselves at the Serve n' Strike Wall, Tennis Swing Station, Skill Games, Basketball Clinics, and more.

• As an added extra fun you can collect stamps in the Mubadala Village passport to win prizes for completing all the activities.

Wheelchair Tennis

There is a new inclusion for this year's Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, which is a wheelchair tennis invitational tournament for the first time.

Featuring singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions the matches are scheduled for February 5th, 6th, and 7th afternoon.

Wheelchair tennis athletes will also be leading coaching clinics for both coaches and people of determination to encourage participation in the sport.

Champion Line-up

The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open boasts an exceptional lineup combining major champions, decorated Olympians, and the tour's brightest rising stars.

Leading the field is Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion currently ranked World No. 5, alongside defending titlist Belinda Bencic and Spanish fan favourite Paula Badosa.

The tournament welcomes exciting newcomers in Canadian prospect Victoria Mboko and Filipino breakthrough star Alexandra Eala, while Grand Slam winners Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova add championship experience to the draw.

The competitive field deepens with Emma Navarro, Clara Tauson, Leylah Fernandez, and former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng joins Dayana Yastremska and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, while Ekaterina Alexandrova, Liudmila Samsonova, Elise Mertens, Beatriz Haddad Maia, McCartney Kessler, and Maya Joint round out a draw guaranteed to deliver elite-level competition throughout the tournament.

General tickets for the event start from Dh30 on Platinumlist.

Additional player announcements for the 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open will be made in the coming weeks ahead of the tournament, scheduled to run from January 31 to February 7.

Areeba Hashmi is trainee at Gulf News.