Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the emirate’s oldest and most popular professional tennis event, which incorporates a week of WTA 1000 women’s tennis followed by a week of ATP 500 men’s action, takes place next year from February 15-28 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. And with the women’s tournament having held WTA 1000 status since 2023, the sport’s 20 top-ranked players are expected to compete, if fit.

Fans can catch the likes of World No1 Aryna Sabalenka, six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, 21-year-old American prodigy Coco Gauff, and reigning Dubai champion Mirra Andreeva during the first three days of on-court action.

Marking the 26th anniversary of the women’s event and the 34th anniversary of Dubai’s ATP tournament, fans returning to the famous stadium in Al Garhoud will notice ongoing redevelopment and expansion of the site, which from February will include a brand new 2,000 seat Court 1 and for 2027 see Centre Court increase its capacity by 50%.

Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said the redevelopment is aligned with the goal of ensuring the venue continues to host world-class events, accommodate a larger and more engaged audience, and generate increased TV coverage.

“The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has been one of Dubai’s flagship sporting events since the 1990s, welcoming the game’s best men and, later, women players,” Cidambi said. “Throughout that time, we have constantly looked to grow, improve, and provide an even bigger and better event for the players, officials and spectators.”

Tournament Director Salah Tahlak, who is also the Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, added: “We saw the depth of women’s tennis this year in Dubai as Mirra Andreeva came through a field that included nine of the world’s top 10 women and 16 of the top 20 to become, at the age of 17, the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history. We are confident of having incredibly strong line-ups across both the women’s and men’s tournaments once again and anticipate another fortnight of fantastic tennis.”