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.

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.

2009

1 JANUARY 2009 The inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship ball is served at the International Tennis Stadium, Zayed Sports City.

3 JANUARY 2009

Great Britain’s Andy Murray is crowned the inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship victor in front of a sold-out stadium. SEPTEMBER 2009 The mini-tennis initiative ‘Capitala Tennis in Schools’ is launched to boost participation in tennis at a grassroots level.

2010

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 2011

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. 31 DECEMBER 2011

World-class tennis at the 2011 MWTC culminates in an incredible final between Djokovic and Ferrer, with Djokovic taking the title for the first time.

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!

2015

3 JANUARY 2015

Murray lifts the MWTC trophy following the 3rd and 4th play-off after the unfortunate withdrawal of Djokovic due to illness. Luckily, fans didn’t miss out on the tennis action as Almagro and Lopez returned to court for a hilarious exhibition match umpired by Pat Cash.

2016

2 JANUARY 2016

Following three days of the closest matches in MWTC history (a total of 10 hours and 32 minute of on-court action!), Nadal raises the MWTC trophy for the third time, beating Raonic 7-6, 6-3 in a crowdthrilling final.

DECEMBER 2016

In a Wimbledon final rematch from a few months previous, World No.1 Andy Murray and No.3 Milos Raonic battle it out for third place, with the Brit winning 6-3, 7-6. Rafael Nadal makes the perfect return to the court, winning his fourth MWTC title, defeating David Goffin.

2017

24 DECEMBER 2017

MWTC’s first-ever ladies’ match is announced, featuring 23-time Grand Slam Champion Serena Williams and reigning French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko.

30 DECEMBER 2017

Kevin Anderson defeats Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (7-0), to become the 10th MWTC Champion. MWTC’s first-ever ladies’ match takes place with Jelena Ostapenko defeating Serena Williams in a super-set.

2018

27 DECEMBER 2018

Famous tennis siblings Serena and Venus Williams meet in Abu Dhabi for the first time, with Venus winning the match 4-6, 6-3, 10-8, in 1 hr and 26 mins.

28 DECEMBER 2018 Defending champion Kevin Anderson overcomes Rafael Nadal in three tightly fought sets – 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 – to secure his place in the final. World No.1 Novak Djokovic beats Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2 in the day’s other semi-final. 29 DECEMBER 2018 World No.1 Novak Djokovic equals Rafael Nadal’s record of four titles at MWTC with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over World No.6 Kevin Anderson.