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Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini recently struck an all-smiles pose together in Abu Dhabi, as they donned headscarves. Paula Badosa and Mirra Andreeva were also seen bonding in the United Arab Emirates' capital. All four players are set to feature in the World Tennis League exhibition mixed-team tennis tournament, which is slated to take place in the city from Thursday, December 19, to Sunday, December 22.
On Wednesday, a day before the exhibition event starts, the tournament's official Instagram handle posted a promotional video. The video features 2024 French Open final opponents Swiatek and Paolini wearing headscarves and posing for the cameras in front of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the UAE's largest mosque.
Badosa and Andreeva are also in the video, walking together on the streets of the city and chatting.
You can watch the video below:
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Iga Swiatek is set to spearhead the Eagles at the 2024 World Tennis League, with her teammates being Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Shevchenko. Jasmine Paolini will be one of the players to watch in the Kites, where she will be joined by the returning Nick Kyrgios, Casper Ruud, and former WTA World No. 1 Simona Halep.
Meanwhile, the young Mirra Andreeva will take her place in the Hawks, which will be led by current WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Jordan Thompson and Sumit Nagal will be Andreeva and Sabalenka's teammates.
Even though the World Tennis League is an exhibition tournament, there already has been controversy in the buildup to the event involving Nick Kyrgios, potentially stemming from the Australian's harsh words in the aftermath of Iga Swiatek's doping revelation.
Nick Kyrgios was quietly moved away from Iga Swiatek's team at World Tennis League 2024
The World Tennis League made an announcement on November 27, confirming that Nick Kyrgios would be joining the Iga Swiatek-led Eagles. According to the initial lineup, Kyrgios was set to be a part of Kites.
However, the Australian was later moved back to Kites, without any announcement by the event organizers. This development came in the aftermath of Kyrgios' incessant criticism of the punishment meted out to Swiatek over the Pole testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) earlier in the year.
Swiatek was given a one-month ban and also docked prize money and ranking points from her run to the 2024 Cincinnati Open semifinals. However, critics like Kyrgios suggested that the Pole was given preferential treatment. The Australian was of the same view after ATP World No. 1 Jannik Sinner's Clostebol controversy.
