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The second edition of the Abu Dhabi Open will be held from February 6-12, 2023. A host of top players are set to compete as the draw features nine top 20 players, led by World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who recently finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open, is also in the fray. Fellow Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko, Bianca Andreescu and Barbora Krejcikova are the other notable names participating here.
With the WTA Tour's leading stars in attendance, the stage is set for an exciting tournament. Here's all the relevant information regarding the event:
What is the Abu Dhabi Open?
The debut edition of the tournament was held in 2021. It was added to the tour due to the suspension of events in China, along with a delayed start to the Australian swing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it wasn't held in 2022, it's back on the calendar once again this year.
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The event has now replaced the St. Petersburg Open, which was canned due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Abu Dhabi Open is classified as a WTA 500 event, with a 28-player singles draw.
Aryna Sabalenka won the inaugural edition back in 2021, but won't be returning to defend her title this year.
Venue
The tournament will be held at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Players
Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova, the first and fourth seeds, are in the top half of the draw and have received a first-round bye. Jelena Ostapenko will take on Danielle Collins in a must-watch opening-round showdown.
Paula Badosa is also in this half of the draw and will face Liudmila Samsonova in her opener. Second and third seeds Belinda Bencic and Elena Rybakina anchor the bottom half of the draw and are also the recipients of a first-round bye.
Bencic could begin her campaign against Marta Kostyuk, while Rybakina awaits the winner of the match between Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza. Bianca Andreescu was drawn against a qualifier, while Anett Kontaveit will take on Zhang Shuai.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds will take place on February 5-6, with the main-draw action also commencing on Monday, February 6. The first and second-round matches will be played from Monday to Thursday.
The quarterfinals are to be held on Friday, followed by the semifinals and the final on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The doubles final is scheduled to start at 3 pm, followed by the singles final at 6:00 pm.
The official schedule can be accessed here.
Prize Money
The total prize money for the 2023 Abu Dhabi Open is $780,637. The women's singles winner will walk away with a cheque worth $120,150 and 470 ranking points. Here's a detailed breakdown of the prize money and ranking points:
Where to watch
Viewers in the US and UK can watch the Abu Dhabi Open live on the following channels and sites:-
USA: Viewers in the United States can catch all the action on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.
