Emma Raducanu will take on Ons Jabeur in the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship later this year.
Each woman has had contrasting seasons. After the shock of winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has struggled with the expectations that come with being a Grand Slam champion.
The 19-year-old's US Open defense ended with a first-round loss to the Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. No longer being the champion at Flushing Meadows might be a weight off the Briton's shoulders.
At last week's Korea Open, there were some encouraging signs for Raducanu, whose coach, Dimitry Tursunov, speaks highly of her. She reached the semifinal but had to retire in the third set.
Jabeur's year has been much better. The Tunisian was the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open and won the Madrid Open. Those achievements made her and Iga Swiatek the first two women to qualify for the WTA Finals.
Raducanu and Jabeur were scheduled to play at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship last year, but the former US Open champion was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. Belinda Bencic took her place.
The pair have agreed to play each other again this year. Both women expressed their excitement about the exhibition. Hopefully, nothing will stop them from meeting this time.
"Playing in Abu Dhabi is always exciting, I had a fantastic experience there in 2021 and I don't want to lose the opportunity to defend my championship title this year. Aside from the match itself, I am most excited to see my fans there – I find them extremely special as they have supported me throughout every competition I have participated in this year."
"I am thrilled to finally be making my debut in Abu Dhabi. I've heard great things about the fans and how supportive they are, and I can’t wait to play in front of them all."
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