Rybakina headlines star-studded field

WTA 500 EVENT WILL BE HELD FROM JAN 31 TO FEB 7

- BY JAI PRASAD V. RAI

World No 5 Elena Rybakina will lead a star-studded field of Grand Slam champions, Olympic medallists and the game's brightest emerging talents as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open returns as a WTA 500 event at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from January 31 to February 7.

The Kazakh star, who lifted the Abu Dhabi title in 2024, has firmly established herself among the sport's elite following her historic Wimbledon triumph in 2022. Since then, Rybakina has reached the Australian Open final, collected multiple WTA 500 and 1000 titles, and capped her rise with victory at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.