DUBAI: US Open champion Marin Cilic will represent the UAE Royals in the inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), the franchise announced on Sunday.
The Croatian will join world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and a host of other top players in the Dubai-based team for the tournament’s matches in the Philippines, Singapore and India before the finale at the Shaikh Hamdan Sports Complex from December 11 to 13.
Also in the UAE team are Canadian women’s world No. 6 Eugenie Bouchard, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, the legendary Goran Ivanisevic, who is Cilic’s coach, doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic and top-ranked Arab player Malek Jaziri.
Cilic said: “The International Premier Tennis League presents an exciting platform for tennis players to enjoy the sport in a brand new way and I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural edition. The UAE Royals are a power-packed squad and I look forward to playing for the team in front of fans in Dubai and other cities.”
Sawan Ravani, co-owner of the Royals, said: “We are honoured and thrilled to have Marin Cilic, who is currently storming the Kremlin Cup in Russia, join the UAE Royals team.
“A super energetic player who has climbed the ATP rankings steadily, Cilic will add his own brilliance to a team that already boasts legends such as Djokovic and Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic, incidentally, discovered and mentored Cilic, so their relationship brings a special chemistry into our team.
“We can’t wait to see Cilic play at the Hamdan Sports Complex this December. We know he will delight and thrill his fans here. Young tennis players will be particularly inspired by this player famous for his powerful aces.”
At a career-high of number nine in the ATP rankings, Cilic captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, also becoming the first Croatian to claim a major crown since Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001.
Team co-owner Sachin Gadoya added: “Cilic has shown remarkable resilience and fortitude as a player. We all admire him for his ability to bounce back from difficult situations.
“We know he has a strong fan base in the UAE and we are very happy we can bring this ace to play for Dubai. As you can see, UAE Royals is a formidable team and we are sure all our players will fulfil their fans’ expectations. This will be one tennis weekend Dubai will always remember.”
Tickets for the much-anticipated IPTL are on sale now. Tickets for the UAE leg of the tournament will be available in day passes or season passes, and either Regular, Corner Prime and VVIP. Season passes come with a 10 per cent discount.
The IPTL is a unique team-based tennis league founded by Indian multiple Grand Slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi.
The league, which begins on November 28, will feature 21 Grand Slam champions and 14 current and former world number ones, with the winning team walking away with prize money of $1 million (Dh3.67 million).
