ABU DHABI: World No. 2 Ons Jabeur, the first Arab to reach a Grand Slam final, will return to Abu Dhabi this December to defend her Mubadala World Tennis Championship crown.

The tournament organizers have confirmed the Tunisian, who reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals this year, will take on British No. 1 Emma Raducanu on the first day of the championships on Dec. 16.

Last year, Jabeur became the first Arab to contest and win the annual Mubadala World Tennis Championship at Zayed Sports City. The 28-year-old faced Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the headline women’s match and came from a set down to claim a memorable 4-6, 6-3, (10-8) victory, to the delight of a raucous crowd inside the International Tennis Centre.

“Playing in Abu Dhabi is always exciting,” Jabeur said ahead of her appearance at the three-day championship, which runs from Dec. 16 to 18.

“I had a fantastic experience there in 2021 and I don’t want to lose the opportunity to defend my championship title this year. Aside from the match itself, I am most excited to see my fans there. I find them extremely special as they have supported me throughout every competition I have participated in this year.”

On the opposite side of the net will be Raducanu, who triumphed at the US Open last year to become the first British female to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1977. She was also the first player to win the US Open women’s singles title without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014.

“I am thrilled to finally be making my debut in Abu Dhabi,” said Raducanu. “I’ve heard great things about the fans and how supportive they are, and I can’t wait to play in front of them all.”

John Lickrish, CEO, Flash Entertainment, added: “We promised we would bring the top players to compete in Abu Dhabi once again, and in Ons and Emma we have secured two of the sport’s biggest names.

“Ons is a crowd favorite and has enjoyed a tremendously successful year since winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship last December. Likewise, I know Emma is also extremely popular and tremendously excited about making her debut here in the UAE. I’m sure there will be huge interest from the tennis community both in the UAE and the wider region.”