Abu Dhabi: Fourteen-time Grand Slam winner and current Mubadala World Tennis champion Rafael Nadal is back in Abu Dhabi and ready to rally his way to a fourth Championship. Starting the defence of his title from day one of the tournament (29th December), this is the first time the Spaniard has ever played on the opening day, with the potential of playing every single day of the tournament.
The World No. 9 is heading into his eighth appearance at the thrilling competition, with five of the world’s top 12 players standing in the way of him and his fourth title. World No. 1 Andy Murray, World No. 3 Milos Raonic, David Goffin and Jo Wilfried Tsonga lay ahead for Nadal, but before facing these fantastic four he will have to close down rival World No. 10 Tomas Berdych, as they take to the court on 29th December at 5pm, International Tennis Centre, The Zayed Sports City.
Excitement is reaching fever pitch, with only days until play starts at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Rafael Nadal said: “This must be one of the most competitive line-ups the tournament has ever seen, so the winner will have to be at their best if they want to start the new season with a victory. It’s going to be a challenge. There are some great players which raises the overall standard and we can expect some action packed matches.”
Nadal added: “The Mubadala World Tennis Championship has the perfect balance of competitive opportunities for the players and entertainment opportunities for the fans. This will be my eighth year at the tournament and over that time I have met so many enthusiastic tennis fans in the UAE. The tournament is so unique in the way it gets the fans close to the players and hopefully many fans here in Abu Dhabi have felt their enthusiasm for the game grow after attending the tournament.”
