Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will compete for the title at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open next month, making the Japanese star the latest player confirmed for the second edition of the WTA 500 tournament.
The tournament, which is hosted in partnership with Mubadala and presented by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, will return to the International Tennis Complex in Zayed Sports City from February 3 to 11, with a group of the brightest tennis stars ranked in the top ten in the world, including Jelena Rybakina and Onas. Jabeur and Maria Sakkari, who meet to compete for the title.
They are joined recently by former world number one Osaka, who enters the competition on a wildcard, like her British colleague, Grand Slam champion Emma Raducano.
Osaka won the first of her four major titles in 2018, by defeating Serena Williams in the US Open final to become the first Japanese woman to win the singles title in the four Grand Slam tournaments, followed by her success in the Australian Open a year later, then she won the US Open title. For the second time in 2020, before winning the Australian Open again in 2021
Commenting on this, 26-year-old Osaka says: “I am very excited to compete in this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and perform in front of the Emirati tennis fans, who I know from previous experience will create a great atmosphere. “It is a high-quality stadium with some of the best players in the world participating, and I am looking forward to this event and I am sure it will be a great event.”
For his part, Nigel Gupta, Sports Director of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, said: “With only a few weeks remaining until this year’s tournament, we are very pleased to announce that Naomi Osaka will participate as part of an extremely talented team. With 10 of the top 20 players in the world competing, along with two Grand Slam winners, Naomi and Emma Raducano, the fans in attendance have a lot to look forward to. “It is expected to be a truly special tournament.”
After welcoming her baby daughter last July, Osaka returned to competition at the beginning of the year, participating in the Brisbane International Championship and the Australian Open.
In total, Naomi has won seven WTA titles throughout her career so far.
#Osaka #joins #stars #Mubadala #Abu #Dhabi #Open