Ons Jabeur, Taylor Fritz and Dan Evans replace Emma Raducanu, Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud at Mubadala World Tennis Championship
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship line-up has undergone significant changes, with three players from the original field, Emma Raducanu, Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud, withdrawing due to a various reasons. The three players have been replaced by Ons Jabeur, Dan Evans and Taylor Fritz respectively.
Raducanu had to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. Thiem, meanwhile, posted an update on social media stating that while he was looking forward to competing at the tournament, he wasn't ready to play at the highest level yet.
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2021 has been a rather difficult season for the Austrian, as he struggled with his form and then had to end his campaign prematurely to undergo wrist surgery. Ruud withdrew from the event due to injury.
Jabeur will face off against Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic in a one-off women's match at the tournament. Fritz will take on Canadian Denis Shapovalov, while former World No. 1 Andy Murray will locks horns with Evans. The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is set to take place from 16-18 December.
Rafael Nadal returns to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
While the tournament has been affected by the withdrawals of some of its biggest names, one of the event's marquee stars is raring to go. Rafael Nadal, easily the biggest attraction of the tournament, is slated to make his comeback from injury at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
The Spaniard played his last match at the Citi Open in August, following which he ended his season due to a foot injury that had bothered him for quite some time. After a bye in the opening round, he's set to face the winner of the match between Andy Murray and Dan Evans.
Nadal was seen training at his academy in Kuwait prior to the start of the tournament and also played a casual match with a few lucky fans.
Following the conclusion of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Nadal is set to compete in Australia. He will start his 2022 season by playing an ATP 250 event in Melbourne instead of competing in the ATP Cup.
The next stop for him will be the Australian Open, where he could be locked in a battle with Novak Djokovic as the duo look to become the first to 21 Grand Slam titles.
Also Check Out: Updated Tennis Schedule 2022