Stars are missing: who will compete for victory at the tournament in Abu Dhabi

The third edition of the World Tennis League will be held in Abu Dhabi from December 19 to 22. This year's lineup is not as star-studded as last year. Four top players, including our Daniil Medvedev, refused to participate. Taking into account that now all tennis players are on vacation, it was not possible to find adequate replacements. Therefore, the invitations to the UAE were extended to the 78th number of the ranking ex-Russian Alexander Shevchenko and Denis Shapovalov, who is outside the top 50. However, even with this arrangement, there is plenty of intrigue. Andrey Rublev and Mirra Andreeva are in different teams this time, and Nick Kyrios and Simona Halep, who haven't played for a long time, are ready to rock not only on the court.

Now with Arina

The first World Tennis League tournament took place in 2022 in Dubai with Novak Djokovic and Igi Sventek. And then won the team "Korshuns", which included a Russian - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, as well as Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan, Alexander Zverev from Germany and Austrian Dominic Thiem. Last year's victory went almost purely to the Russian team. Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Mirra Andreeva and Russian-born American Sofia Kenin played for the Eagles. In the final, Medvedev's team beat Arina Sobolenko's team (29:26), for which Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa also played.

This time Arina and Mirra Andreeva will play in the same team. They will be accompanied by Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson for the Hawks. Andrei Rublev has been announced for the Falcons this time along with Denis Shapovalov, Elena Rybakina and Carolyn Garcia. Badosa and Tsitsipas are together again for the Eagles. Plus they are joined by Iga Swiatek and Alexander Shevchenko. Simona Halep, Yasmin Paolini, Kasper Ruud and Nick Kyrios will play for the Korshuns.

It should be noted that Kyrios was originally on the same team as Sventek, but after the news of the doping scandal the lineup changed. The Australian, like Halep (who replaced Barbora Krejcikova, who refused to play in the UAE), actively criticizes the Polish tennis player and Jannik Sinner, who received minimal disqualifications for failing doping tests in 2024 ("Our sport is finished," Kyrios wrote, commenting on the words of colleagues in defense of Sinner).

- The tennis player - I don't want to name names, you know who I mean - served three weeks of ineligibility, then played two tournaments, then continued to serve her suspension. How's that? I don't understand. So I think it's unfair," Halep, who served a nine-month suspension for a similar offense (she returned to the tour in early October 2024), said recently.

So the match between Halep and Sventek in Abu Dhabi takes on a special significance. It should be noted that the tennis players have played each other four times on the tour, and so far the score is equal (2:2). The Romanian twice knocked the Polish tennis player out of Grand Slam tournaments ("Roland Garros" - 2019, Australian Open - 2021), Swiatek won at the "thousands" in Paris and Indian Wells.

A test for Nick

Kyrios returns to the tour after a long break (he played his last official match in June 2023). He was absent due to knee and wrist problems, but now notes that he has fully recovered and will start the new season in Brisbane (at the Australian Open - 2025 Nick will play on a protected rating). So it's very interesting to watch the Wimbledon 2022 finalist after a long break.

However, the Aussie's opponents in the UAE could be even more stellar. Recall that shortly before the start of the World Tennis League, Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz and Taylor Fritz withdrew from it. They were replaced by Thompson, Shapovalov and Shevchenko. According to the organizers, the changes were "due to unforeseen personal reasons and insurmountable circumstances such as injuries." Let's hope that Daniil doesn't have an injury and his preparation for the Australian major won't be hindered by anything.

Thus, Kirios will play only Rublev and Tsitsipas (Nick is on the same team with Ruud). Andrei traditionally tries to accept invitations to all exhibition tournaments (in early December he played at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in London). For what he is criticized by experts, who believe that the tennis player does not actually rest.

- Andrey really doesn't spare himself," Viktor Yanchuk, honored coach of Russia, told Izvestia. - He plays ATP-250 tournaments more often than other top-10 players and is a very frequent guest at exhibition tournaments. It's hard to understand, but maybe Rublev feels that his body needs game practice. And as long as he's in the top-10, every year he goes to the ATP final tournaments, he shouldn't be scolded for such activity. Besides, they pay good fees for exhibition tournaments.

It should be noted that in Abu Dhabi tennis players will have to give their best in every game. The teams play each other in a round-robin tournament, with the best two teams meeting in the final. The match consists of five separate games - men, women, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. Moreover, each game goes to victory in one set. But the main thing is that all the games taken are counted for the team. That is, if the first two games ended with the score 6:1 and 2:6, the score will be 8:7. A dynamic and entertaining system.

Team lineups:

"Falcons": Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov, Elena Rybakina, Carolyn Garcia.

"Hawks: Jordan Thompson, Samit Nagal, Mirra Andreeva, Arina Sobolenko.

"Eagles: Alexander Shevchenko, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Iga Schwentek, Paula Badosa.

"Kites: Nick Kyrios, Kasper Ruud, Simona Halep, Jasmine Paolini.