Djokovic and Swiatek to headline World Tennis League in Dubai

The tournament will be held at Coca-Cola Arena from December 19-24

Serbia's Novak Djokovic will headline the men's draw for the World Tennis League in Dubai in December. AP Photo

World No 1s Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will headline a new tennis tournament in Dubai in December.

The World Tennis League will feature the best men's and women's players playing two-set matches across both singles and mixed doubles matches, with 10-point tie-breakers set to decide the final outcome if needed.

The tournament will be held at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena from December 19-24.

Joining the men’s field are Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios and former world No 2 Alexander Zverev. From the women’s field, former world No 1 Simona Halep and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina add to a world-class line-up of tennis talent.

A player lottery will be held on November 1, where the 16-player line-up will be split into four teams of four players each, and a Round Robin format for matches across the tournament. The top two teams will then face off in a final day of matches to determine the overall winner of the World Tennis League in Dubai.

After the action on court, ticket holders for "The Greatest Show on Court" can experience concerts featuring top artists from around the globe, including Dutch DJ superstars Tiësto and Armin Van Buuren.

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Serbia's Djokovic, whose record of 21 Grand Slam singles titles places him second to only Rafael Nadal, heads the men's field with Poland's Swiatek, winning of the 2022 French and US Opens, leads the women's entries.

“This new event is exciting, there’s no doubt about it,” said Djokovic. "I absolutely love playing in Dubai, I’ve had a lot of success there over the years and really enjoy the fans. This is something different, and it’s going to be great being a part of it.”

Three-time Grand slam champion Swiatek added: “I like it most when tennis connects people and when it's true entertainment. When it's combined with a great show and music, it's even better, so that's the reason why I'm excited to join this year's World Tennis League. I'm happy that together with other top players we'll introduce tennis as fun to new audiences. I can't wait!”

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Rajesh Banga, chairman of World Tennis League, said the World Tennis League will hail a "new era of tennis".

"It brings a unique and engaging new format to the game of tennis, offering a spectacular mix of sport and entertainment together. We can’t wait to welcome fans from around the globe for this momentous event.”

For more information on the World Tennis League, please visit: https://www.worldtennisleague.com/.