The WTA Middle East swing will begin with the 2023 Abu Dhabi Open, which will take place from February 6 to 12. After a two-year hiatus, the tournament returns to the women’s tour. The WTA 500 event has a strong field, with many well-known players competing.

Three top-10 players are competing, headlined by World No. 8 and top seed Daria Kasatkina. Belinda Bencic is seeded second, with Elena Rybakina, the 2023 Australian Open runner-up, seeded third. Veronika Kudermetova, a 2021 finalist, is seeded fourth.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova, and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova are also in contention. Garbine Muguruza, a two-time Major champion, received a wildcard to compete, as did Sorana Cirstea and Marta Kostyuk.

Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion who was runner-up at the Australian Open, is also competing. Garbine Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko, Bianca Andreescu, and Barbora Krejcikova are among the other noteworthy names competing.

The setting is set for an intriguing competition with the WTA Tour’s top talents in attendance. Here is all of the pertinent information about the event, Here’s where you can catch all of the action at the Abu Dhabi Open:

Where to watch the free Abu Dhabi Open 2023:

Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:

• Live Broadcast: Abu Dhabi Open 2023 Live

Abu Dhabi Open 2023 Venue:

The tournament will be placed at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

What is the Abu Dhabi Open?

The competition held its first edition in 2021. It was added to the tour due to the cancellation of events in China, as well as the delay in the commencement of the Australian swing due to the COVID-19 epidemic. While it did not take place in 2022, it is back on the agenda this year.

The tournament has taken the place of the St. Petersburg Open, which was cancelled owing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Abu Dhabi Open is a WTA 500 event featuring a singles draw of 28 players.

Aryna Sabalenka won the inaugural tournament in 2021, but she will not be defending her title this year.

No. 3 in the world Ons Jabeur, one of the region’s most popular athletes, was also scheduled to compete but withdrew from the tournament. Sania Mirza, who is retiring soon, will participate alongside her dear friend and regular partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

With so many in-form players in the draw, there are bound to be some exciting match-ups over the following several days.

The second Abu Dhabi Open will be placed from February 6 to 12, 2023. The draw comprises nine top 20 players, headlined by World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina, and boasts a slew of top players.

Abu Dhabi Open 2023 Players:

The first and fourth seeds, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova are in the top half of the draw and earn a first-round bye. In a must-see first-round matchup, Jelena Ostapenko will face Danielle Collins.

Paula Badosa is also in this half of the draw and will open against Liudmila Samsonova. Belinda Bencic and Elena Rybakina, the second and third seeds, anchor the bottom half of the draw and have a first-round bye.

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Bencic could start her campaign against Marta Kostyuk, while Rybakina awaits the outcome of Karolina Pliskova vs. Garbine Muguruza. Anett Kontaveit will face Zhang Shuai, while Bianca Andreescu will face a qualifier.

Abu Dhabi Open Schedule:

The qualifying rounds will be held on February 5-6, with the main draw beginning on Monday, February 6. From Monday to Thursday, the first and second rounds will be played.

The quarterfinals will take place on Friday, with the semifinals and final taking place on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The doubles final will begin at 3 p.m., followed by the singles final at 6:00 p.m.

Abu Dhabi Open 2023 Prize Money:

The prize money for the 2023 Abu Dhabi Open is $780,637 in total. The winner of the women’s singles will get a check for $120,150 and 470 ranking points. The prize money and ranking points are stated below: