Abu Dhabi: David Goffin, the world No. 11, will fulfil a long-standing ambition by playing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi later this month.
The Belgium No. 1 will be making his debut in the season-opening event, where he will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the opening match on December 29.
A mouthwatering encounter with the newly crowned world No. 1 Andy Murray awaits the winner of this encounter the following day at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City with victory sealing a place in the New Year’s Eve final.
In 2015, Goffin broke into the world’s top 20 thanks to decent runs in major tournaments. He was the driving force behind the Belgium Davis Cup team’s surprise run to the final in the same year, which they eventually lost to Murray’s Great Britain. This year has been another impressive one for the up-and-coming Belgian, having reached the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time in his career.
Although Goffin is set to face Murray again if he defeats Tsonga, he could meet World No. 3 Milos Raonic, 14-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal or Czech giant Tomas Berdych in the final. Berdych and Nadal play day one’s second match, with the winner taking on Raonic on the second day of the tournament. The winners of day two will come head-to-head on New Year’s Eve for the final.
Goffin said of his forthcoming appearance at the six-man, annual exhibition: “The players have always talked about this tournament being a great season-starter and it’s something I’ve wanted to take part in for a while. I’m looking forward to experiencing it first-hand and against some of the best players in the world.
“Jo sent me a text from the official draw which he attended in Abu Dhabi — it was picture of the match schedule showing us drawn together. He’s great; fun to play with and watch, so I hope fans come out to enjoy the game with us in Abu Dhabi.”
Many are excited to see Goffin play in the tournament for the first time, including some young players who recently took part in the Mubadala Community Cup, a tournament which supports the growth of emerging talent in the region each year. Semi-finalist of the boys’-14-and-under event, Anurag Reddy, said: “I watch the Mubadala World Tennis Championship every year and I’m really excited to watch David Goffin on centre court as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I like his style of play and I cannot wait to watch him live. Hopefully I will get to meet him in the Tennis Village, too.”
Designed to be the ultimate family activity ground, organisers say the Tennis Village adds to the exceptional event atmosphere of Mubadala World Tennis Championship and ensures there is plenty of room to catch the fast-paced tennis action as well as get up close and personal with the players. The action in Tennis Village kicks off before the first ball is hit on day one, which promises to be a star-studded affair. Murray and Nadal will both be giving tennis coaching clinics, free for everyone to view, with Murray and Raonic also on hand to sign autographs for eager fans during the day.
Tickets for the 2016 Mubadala World Tennis Championship start from Dh50 for Category 2 seating. Exclusive premier hospitality packages are also available, including food and limited beverages, star player meet-and-greets and courtside seating.
Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders redeeming their Y1 Access benefits receive a 20% discount on Category 2 tickets. Y1 Access is the money-off advantage programme for 2016 #AbuDhabiGP race ticket holders and is offered for selected FLASH events until February 2017. For further information, visit www.yasalam.ae.
For more information about the 2016 Mubadala Tennis World Championship, visit: www.mubadalawtc.com and >www.facebook.com/mubadalaworldtennischampionship.
