Abu Dhabi Open 2024: Schedule, players, prize money breakdown, ranking points and more
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Open heralds the start of the Middle East swing. The third edition of the tournament will run from February 5-11.
Elena Rybakina leads a competitive draw, with her fellow top 10 players Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari in tow. Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu, who made their comebacks in Australia, received a wildcard to compete here.
Defending champion Belinda Bencic is away on maternity leave, leaving the door open for the crowning of a new victor. The tournament is a precursor the consecutive WTA 1000 events lined up in Dubai and Qatar to be held later this month.
On that note, here are all the relevant details regarding the tournament:
What is the Abu Dhabi Open?
The tournament was added to the WTA calendar in 2021 due to the pandemic affecting many other events on the tour. It was classified as a WTA 500 event right from its inception and the debut edition was won by Aryna Sabalenka.
While the tournament wasn't held in 2022, it found itself back on the women's circuit the following year. Now, it returns once again and seems to have found a regular spot for itself on the tour.
The tournament features a 28-player draw in singles, with the top four seeds receiving a first round bye. The doubles draw is composed of 16 teams.
Venue
The tournament will be held at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Players
2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is the top seed at this year's Abu Dhabi Open. She'll be keen to get over a disappointing run at the Australian Open, where she was shown the door in the second round.
Ons Jabeur is next up as the second seed and just like Rybakina, made an early exit in Melbourne. The Tunisian has also partnered with Osaka to compete in doubles. Maria Sakkari is the third seed, followed by Barbora Krejcikova.
Last year's runner-up Liudmila Samsonova will be looking to go a step further this time. Jelena Ostapenko is another player to watch out for, along with Beatriz Haddad Maia and Daria Kasatkina.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds will take place from February 3-4, and will be followed by the main draw action from Monday, February 5. The first couple of rounds stretch up to Thursday.
The quarterfinals and the semifinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, respectively. The championships matches for singles and doubles will be held on Sunday, February 11 and will commence from 2:30 p.m. local time.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The total prize money for this year's Abu Dhabi Open stands at $922,573, of which the winner will pocket $142,000 along with 500 points.
Here's a complete breakdown of the prize money and ranking points:
Where to watch
Viewers in the USA, Canada and UK can watch the Abu Dhabi Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: The official broadcaster in the region is Tennis Channel.
Canada: Fans in the region can tune in to TVA.
UK: Matches will be telecast on Sky Sports.
For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.