Daniil Medvedev will return to defend his title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship alongside Andrey Rublev, the man he defeated to clinch his maiden Dubai crown last year.
Four of the world’s top eight female players have also signed up, ahead of the January 22 deadline, to compete in the women’s event of the tournament.
Medvedev and Rublev, currently ranked No3 and No5 in the world, will be joined in Dubai by 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist and World No9 Hubert Hurkacz, as well as Karen Kachanov, last year’s Australian Open semifinalist and current World No15.
Other names will be added to the lineup for the 32nd edition of the ATP Tour event in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the 24th edition of the WTA Tour tournament – which has been appointed permanent WTA 1000 status after rotating with Doha in recent years – is expected to feature almost all of the world’s top 20, with Elena Rybakina (No3), Jessica Pegula (No5), Ons Jabeur (No6), and Maria Sakkari (No8) the first to be confirmed.
“For many years, Dubai has featured the world’s best male and female tennis players, so we are pleased to announce our first batch of elite male and female stars for this year’s tournament,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free.
“Having the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as a permanent fixture on the WTA 1000 ranking serves as a true testament to the tournament’s progress over the past two decades.”
Tickets for both the women’s WTA tournament and the men’s ATP event are available for purchase online on Monday 15th January from 12 noon at www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com.
Fans are strongly advised to purchase tickets in advance of the tournament, with the Dubai Duty Free Stadium Box Office only open closer to the event.
A numbered seating system will also be reintroduced this year. Operating in the Lower Grandstand for ATP week, Prime A and Prime B class tickets for both ATP and WTA week will also follow this system.
Meanwhile, Upper Grandstand seating during both ATP and WTA week will be free seating, with the Lower Grandstand also unreserved during the first week of action.
Ramesh Cidambi, COO of Dubai Duty Free and Chair of the tournament’s organising committee, said: “We are delighted that this Championship continues to grow in prominence, further highlighted by the WTA Tour awarding the tournament WTA 1000 status. Reserved seating is just one change to this year’s tournament, we have also made further upgrades and investments to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of our players and spectators.”
Salah Tahlak, Joint COO of Dubai Duty Free and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, added: “Every year, our tournament grows both in popularity and prominence, and the 2024 tournament promises to be one more thrilling showcase of tennis excellence, with the world’s top stars competing in Dubai. We anticipate a dramatic fortnight of tennis as the sport’s top players jostle for supremacy.”
The 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships men’s tournament is preceded by the 24th edition of the annual WTA event, which will continue to take place one week before the ATP event. The women’s tournament will run between February 18 and 24, before the 32nd staging of the ATP Tour 500 tournament from February 26 to March 2.