LEGACY BUILDING CONTINUES AS MUBADALA ABU DHABI OPEN HOSTS RECORD-BREAKING THIRD EDITION OF WTA 500 TOURNAMENT

Belinda Bencic’s fairytale comeback victory was a fitting way to bring the curtain down on yet another wonderful Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and the Swiss star’s on-court celebrations, which included her baby daughter, Bella, will live long in the memory.

As will the tournament itself.

The third instalment of the WTA 500 event, which has quickly become a highlight of the UAE sporting calendar, was a resounding success both on and off-court, with world-class tennis action, record-breaking attendance figures and a new-look Fan Village, double the size of previous years, just some of the highlights.

With annual events of this nature, there is always pressure, and an expectation, for the next edition to be even bigger than the previous one. Easy to say. But, in reality, not quite as straightforward to deliver.

The 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, however, was undoubtedly the best yet.

Once again, the field included many of the biggest names in women’s tennis, such as Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur, Belinda Bencic, Paula Badosa, Emma Raducanu, Daria Kasatkina and Marketa Vondrousova, along with some of the sport’s rising stars, including beaten finalist Ashlyn Krueger, Leylah Fernandez, Linda Noskova and 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe.

Bencic stole the show, becoming Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open champion for the second time having only returned to competitive action in October following a maternity break.

The fact she fought back from one set down in both the final and semi-final showcased the 27-year-old’s resilience, while the quality of her play throughout ensured she was a fully deserving winner.

Elsewhere, fan-favourite Jabeur, continuing her comeback following a lengthy injury lay-off, emerged with huge credit after overcoming Jelena Ostapenko before pushing Rybakina all the way in the quarter-finals, eventually losing a dramatic third-set tie-break.

Krueger, 20, produced some fantastic performances to reach her maiden WTA 500 final. Noskova, also 20, was a worthy semi-finalist, while Sonobe’s talent was there for all to see in the early part of the tournament, before she fell to Jabeur.

Off-court, the event continues to make a significant impact in the local community thanks to initiatives such as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program, designed to introduce youngsters to tennis in a fun and interactive way, and Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, created to give aspiring players in the UAE a pathway to make their mark on the global stage.

This year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program engaged over 25,000 students through special assemblies hosted in schools across the city, the launch of nationwide art competitions and sessions hosted by Tennis 360. Many of those students, along with their teachers, then attended the event throughout the week, taking advantage of the opportunity to watch some of the world’s best players compete at close quarters.

Saturday’s action also included the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open finals, where the winners of the community tournament were crowned.

Fully sanctioned by the UAE Tennis Federation, the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open sees tournaments held for various age groups across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah, with the respective finals taking place as part of the WTA 500 event.

Among the prizes is a trip to train at the prestigious Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, in Spain, where the likes of four-time Grand Slam-winner, Carlos Alcaraz, learnt his craft, ensuring the stakes are incredibly high.

The tournament’s commitment to training and developing UAE-based officials continues, with this year’s Chair Umpire Program a natural progression from the Line Umpire Program which was launched ahead of the 2024 event. Not everybody wants to be involved on the playing side, and these initiatives are important when it comes to highlighting some of the additional career paths available within the sport.

Shining a spotlight on female Emirati talent was once again a key focus of this year’s event, with local jewellery designer Noora Shawqi creating a unique piece, symbolizing the fusion of sport and the UAE’s vibrant culture, which was awarded to the winners of both the singles and doubles tournaments.

At 15,000 square metres, the Mubadala Tennis Village, delivered by award-winning creative event producers, Brag, was one of the major enhancements to the 2025 event. Made up of five separate districts, spectators were able to enjoy live music throughout the tournament, a whole host of activations for fans of all ages and a vast selection of F&B offerings.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’s sustainability drive was once again in evidence with DGrade playing an integral role in the event for the third consecutive year.

Since the tournament’s inception, DGrade have been making the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open more sustainable through recycling plastic bottles and giving them a second life, with some of the t-shirts worn by Ball Kids during the event created via this particular method.

The Middle East is now widely regarded as a major sports destination on a global scale, with multiple high-profile events held across the likes of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Riyadh throughout each year.

While this is fantastic for the evolution of the region, naturally more events leads to increased competition, which can be tough, particularly for an event such as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, which is only in its third year.

The tournament, however, enjoyed record-breaking attendance figures and the final day’s play, for the second year in succession, was completely sold out. A sign of the tournament’s growing significance and popularity.

Nigel Gupta, Tournament Director, is better placed than anybody to assess the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’s evolution: “The tournament has grown year on year, and the 2025 edition was certainly bigger and better than anything we’ve experienced previously.

“Feedback from players, fans and media was absolutely fantastic, and the event site looked amazing, particularly given the addition of the Mubadala Tennis Village.

“As well as hosting a wonderful tennis tournament, which we are able to do thanks to a fantastic player line-up and incredible support from Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, creating a legacy is hugely important to us. Our community initiatives are pivotal in allowing us to do that, and with over 25,000 students engaged through this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program, the event is inspiring the younger generation.

“Record-breaking attendance figures, including a final-day sell-out, reflect the overall growth of the tournament and we are delighted with the success of this year’s event.”

As always, the aim for 2026 is bigger and better.

Based on this year’s event, only a fool would bet against that being the case.

Last Updated on 6 hours by News Desk 1