TIMELINE 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 The Abu Dhabi World Tennis Championship, guided by the belief of the late H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, former President of the UAE, and H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, is conceived to enhance the growth of tennis in the country and create a world-class tennis event in Abu Dhabi.
9 NOVEMBER 2008 FLASH Entertainment, in partnership with Capitala and IMG, announce the creation of a new special event to kick start the 2009 global tennis season – the Capitala World Tennis Championship – officially the first international tennis tournament in the capital.
31 DECEMBER 2011 SEPTEMBER 2009 The mini-tennis initiative ‘Capitala Tennis in Schools’ is launched to boost participation in tennis at a grassroots level.
2009
2 JANUARY 2010 Nadal defeats Soderling in the Championship final and signals the event as great preparation for the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the rest of his record year.
24 OCTOBER 2010 Mubadala announces their title sponsorship and the event is officially renamed the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
2011
1 JANUARY 2009
1 JANUARY 2011
The inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship ball is served at the International Tennis Stadium, Zayed Sports City.
A dream final between Federer and Nadal wows the crowds and sees Nadal win in straight sets, taking the title home for the second consecutive year.
3 JANUARY 2009 Great Britain’s Andy Murray is crowned the inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship victor in front of a sold-out stadium.
6 /7
first time.
2010
NOVEMBER 2008 The Capitala Community Cup commences as the first exciting step in creating a series of unique tennis-themed initiatives to engage the community, with a focus on encouraging UAE youth to play tennis.
World-class tennis at the 2011 MWTC culminates in an incredible final between Djokovic and Ferrer, with Djokovic taking the title for the
2012 29 DECEMBER 2012 Emirati duo Hamad Janahi and Abdulrahman Al Janahi get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play with Murray and Berdych on centre court. The nail-biting final between Djokovic and Almagro then wows the sold-out stadium with Djokovic coming back from a set down to retain his title.
2013 28 DECEMBER 2013 Final day sees yet another sell-out stadium, as Novak Djokovic clinches his third consecutive MWTC title!
