2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship: Draw, schedule, players, prize money and where to watch
Eight big names in tennis will gather in Abu Dhabi for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship starting tomorrow.
The men's singles draw includes defending champion and 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Andrey Rublev among others. Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic will take on Ons Jabeur in the headline women's match. Jabeur will become the first Arab to play in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2021 edition of the Mubdala World Tennis Championship:
What is the Mubadala World Tennis Championship?
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship has been held since 2009 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is an exhibition tournament with men's and women's singles matches featuring six male players and two female players.
The tournament lasts three days, with eight matches played in total. Points will not be awarded since it is an exhibition tournament.
Venue
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship will be played at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. There are two hardcourt surfaces at the venue. The Stadium Court can seat 5000 people and Court 2 can accommodate 600.
Players
COVID-19 and injuries have forced some changes in the line-up of the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
In the women's match, Ons Jabeur has replaced Emma Raducanu after the latter tested positive for COVID-19.
In the men's group, Dominic Thiem has decided to delay his comeback from a wrist injury and withdrawn from the tournament. After picking up a minor injury during practice, Casper Ruud has also decided to skip the tournament.
The names of the players who would replace them were announced on Twitter from the Championship's official account:
Welcome to #MWTC Ons_Jabeur, @Taylor_Fritz97 & Dan Evans. The trio will replace Emma Raducanu, Dominic Thiem & Casper Ruud.
Welcome to #MWTC 👋 @Ons_Jabeur, @Taylor_Fritz97 & Dan Evans.
The trio will replace Emma Raducanu, Dominic Thiem & Casper Ruud.
#MWTC #MakeWayForTheBest https://t.co/HalOHt21Lk
Ons Jabeur, Dan Evans and Taylor Fritz, who are replacing Raducanu, Thiem and Ruud are all making their first appearances at the tournament.
Schedule
The 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship will take place between 16--18 December. As the top-seeded players, Rublev and Nadal receive direct entry to the semifinals.
It's #MWTC week! 👍
#MakeWayForTheBest @RafaelNadal https://t.co/AVIYRRtuOm
Andy Murray will play Dan Evans on Day One, while Taylor Fritz will take on Denis Shapovalov. The women's match will complete the first day's schedule. .
On Day Two, the winner of the match between Murray and Evans will take on Nadal while the winner of the match between Shapovalov and Fritz will face off against Rublev. The play-off for fifth place will also take place on the second day.
The match to decide third place and the men's final will be held on Day Three.
December 16
Taylor Fritz vs Denis Shapovalov (4:00 PM Local time, 12:00 PM GMT, 5:30 PM IST)
Dan Evans vs Andy Murray (not before 6:00 PM Local time, 2:00 PM GMT, 7:30 PM IST)
Belinda Bencic vs Ons Jabeur (not before 8:00 PM Local time, 4:00 PM GMT, 9:30 PM IST)
December 17
Fifth-place play-off (3:00 PM Local time, 11:00 PM GMT, 4:30 PM IST)
Andrey Rublev vs Taylor Fritz or Denis Shapovalov (not before 5:00 PM Local time, 1:00 PM GMT, 6:30 PM IST)
Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans or Andy Murray (not before 7:00 PM Local time, 3:00 PM GMT, 8:30 PM IST)
December 18
Third-place play-off (5:00 PM Local time, 1:00 PM GMT, 6:30 PM IST)
Men's final (not before 7:00 PM Local time, 3:00 PM GMT, 8:30 PM IST)
Prize money
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is a winner-takes-all style event, with winners of the men's and women's final receiving $250,000 each.
Telecast
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship will be telecast live in UK on Eurosport and can be streamed via the Discovery+ app. In the US. the tournament will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel.
‼️UPDATED‼️
Confirmed European broadcasters of the Mubadala World Tennis Ch'ship/Abu Dhabi.
If you know about other European broadcasters, let me know, I'll update the list. https://t.co/glCdTvIke1
Also Check Out: Updated Tennis Schedule 2022