ABU DHABI, October 23, 2018
Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung and Karen Khachanov will join 14-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, defending champion Kevin Anderson and seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams at the 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC).
The tournament is set to take place from 27th to 29th December 2018 at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and will feature six of the top male players and two leading female players.
Thiem will return to the capital of the United Arab Emirates for the second time. The 25-year-old Austrian advanced to his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros this season and is currently ranked World No. 7.
“I can’t wait to return to Abu Dhabi this year. I especially enjoyed being involved with the kid’s clinics last year which was such a great feeling. I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences with them again and playing in the Championship will help me get back into rhythm for the 2019 season,” Thiem stated.
Making his debut appearance in Abu Dhabi is #NextGenATP title holder Hyeon Chung of South Korea. The 22-year-old who began playing tennis to improve his eyesight has won more than 70 per cent of his matches on the ATP Challenger Tour, ITF Futures Circuit and ITF Junior Circuit. He earned his biggest career win over world number four Alexander Zverev and upset six-time champion Djokovic en route to the Australian Open semi-final.
Chung said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be coming to Abu Dhabi and to play against some of the biggest players in the world. This will be a real test of my game and will help me immensely for the 2019 season. I look forward to an exciting tournament and meeting the wonderful people of the UAE.”
With 22-year-old Karen Khachanov of Russia, another young gun will be joining Chung in Abu Dhabi. The Moscow native has recently won his third ATP World Tour career crown on home soil at the Kremlin Cup. Khachanov is currently sitting at World No. 19, being the highest ranked male player of his country.
Commenting on his maiden appearance in Abu Dhabi he said: “Playing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship is a dream come true. I am really proud to be selected amongst such a world-class line-up and am looking forward to playing against some of the best players on the circuit.”
John Lickrish, CEO of FLASH Entertainment, said: “Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung and Karen Khachanov represent the next-generation of players and we are absolutely thrilled to have them play in Abu Dhabi. These talented young players are certainly going to mix things up over the three days – and we can’t wait to see them compete in just over a few months. It’s certainly warming up to be a very exciting tournament!”
In addition to all the on-court action, there’s plenty of action off-court as well. The Tennis Village returns once again and has a packed schedule of activities across all three days of the tournament. Tennis fans and their families will enjoy themed experiences including:
- Day One: Love. Kids. Free entry for children (age 2-12) with the purchase of an adult ticket
- Day Two: Love. Foodies. A food extravaganza with live cooking stations and culinary specialities from around the world
- Day Three: Love. Ladies. An elegant ladies day celebrating fashion, sports and healthy living
The MWTC offers its spectators the equivalent of a Grand Slam quarter-final and is widely recognised as the first tournament leading into the Australian Open and is played on similar surface and weather conditions.
Tickets to the event are priced from AED 100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae.
