Novak Djokovic set to return to action at Dubai Tennis Championships next month

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is set to return to competitive action at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships, which will take place from 21-26 February. The entry list for the ATP 500 event features Djokovic as the No. 1 seed.

The second highest-ranked player on the entry list is World No. 6 Andrey Rublev, followed by World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime. Overall, nine players from the top 20 and 23 players from the top 100 have signed up for the tournament.

Djokovic last competed in the Davis Cup in December, winning all four of his singles ties. The Serb was expected to kick off his 2022 season in the ATP Cup, but pulled out at the last minute. He was also slated to participate at the Australian Open, but visa problems prevented the World No. 1 from defending his title at Melbourne Park.

While the Dubai entry list has not been officially released by tournament organizers, the news has been confirmed by various outlets, including Sky Sports.

As of now, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not require athletes to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country, with a negative RT-PCR test (within 72 hours) sufficient. Moreover, Serbia is on the green list of countries approved in UAE.

The 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships also features a WTA 500 event a week prior to the men's tournament, from February 14-19. The entry list for this competition has beenreleased and features nine of the top-10 players.

Novak Djokovic has won the Dubai Tennis Championships on five occasions

Novak Djokovic has won the Dubai Tennis Championship five times till date

Novak Djokovic is a five-time champion in Dubai, winning most recently in 2020. The World No. 1 defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final to inch one step closer to Roger Federer's record tally of eight titles at the tournament.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion won the title three years on the trot between 2009 and 2011, defeating David Ferrer, Mikhail Youzhny and Federer respectively in the finals. Djokovic fell at the semifinal hurdle the next year but made amends in 2013 by winning his fourth championship with a victory over Tomas Berdych.

The record for the most consecutive titles at the tournament is held jointly by the Serb and Federer. The former World No. 1 completed the hat-trick between 2003 and 2005.

Djokovic was not part of the event in 2021. The final was contested by wild card Aslan Karatsev and qualifier Lloyd Harris, with the Russian claiming his first-ever singles title.