David Ferrer will kick off his 2016 season at the prestigious Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition in Abu Dhabi which starts on December 31st.
Ferrer will play in the tournament for the fifth time in his career. His best result was reaching the semifinals in 2011 and 2013. He is the third confirmed player of the tournament after Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic. In a press release from the world No.8, he described the upcoming tournament as ‘one of the most competitive yet’.
“There is always a lot of excitement in the crowd and the setup in Abu Dhabi is world class”. The 33-year-old said.
“I am excited to get the season underway. The players are always very strong so I know exactly what I can expect this year: tough, fast and exciting tennis.”
“I know Rafa and Milos will set the standards very high and it’s certainly looking like one of the most competitive tournaments yet.” Ferrer added.
The tournament is held at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex. Since the first edition in 2009 only three men has claimed the title (Novak Djokovic three times, Andy Murray twice and Rafael Nadal twice). The winner of the tournament will receive $250,000 in prize money.
Despite never winning a Grand Slam title, Ferrer recently claimed his 25th ATP title at the Malaysian Open where he defeated Feliciano Lopez in straight sets. The 33-year-old has won four ATP titles this year in Doha, Rio de Janeiro, Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Following the tournament, it is reported that Ferrer will travel to Doha to compete in the Qatar Open on January 4th, where he is the defending champion. The Spaniard defeated Tomas Berdych to claim the title at the start of this year.
