Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep lead stacked line-up at 2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Nine of the world's top 10 and 17 of the top 20 will compete at the WTA 1000 event

Romania's Simona Halep after beating Elena Rybakina in the final of the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. AP

Simona Halep came though a tough battle against the in-form Elena Rybakina in a thrilling final to clinch the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. EPA

Romania's Simona Halep returns the ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. AFP

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in action. EPA

Romania's Simona Halep returns the ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. AFP

Romania's Simona Halep returns the ball. AFP

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina serves. AFP

Romania's Simona Halep returns the ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates on February 22, 2020. / AFP / KARIM SAHIB

Elena Rybakina serves the ball to Simona Halep. AFP

Simona Halep during the final against Elena Rybakina. EPA

Elena Rybakina during the match against Simona Halep. EPA

Nine of the world's top 10 players, headlined by top-ranked Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Simona Halep, have confirmed their places at the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Taking place March 7-13, the Dubai Tennis Championships has consistently attracted the best players in the world, and next month's event will be no different.

Usually held in February, this year's tournament was pushed back in line with the rest of the professional tennis calendar, with the first Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open delayed by three weeks.

Australia's Barty, 24, is set to make her debut at the tournament and will be joined by world No 2 Halep, who clinched her 20th WTA title last year. The Romanian will be aiming to win the trophy for a fourth time, which will put her alongside Belgium's Justine Henin as the tournament's most successful player.

World No 4 and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin returns to Dubai for the third successive year, while two-time champion and world No 5 Elina Svitolina has once again added her name to the lineup.

Karolina Pliskova, the world No 6 who reached the 2015 Dubai final, is set to compete in the main draw for the eighth time, while seventh-ranked Aryna Sabalenka – the winner of the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open last month – will look to continue her fine form in the UAE.

Completing the top 10 are former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, two-time Wimbledon champion and 2013 Dubai winner Petra Kvitova, and Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens.

“We are delighted to welcome back to Dubai so many of the very best players in the world,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free.

“All of them have given us many moments to remember, and we are thrilled as well to welcome new faces to Dubai and look forward to seeing them demonstrate the skills that have taken them to Grand Slam success and to the top of the rankings.”

Outside of the top 10 are a number of players who will have genuine title ambitions. World No 12 Belinda Bencic will aim to replicate her 2019 campaign when the Swiss player stormed to the title, while French Open champion Iga Swiatek is set to make her first appearance.

Two-time Grand Slam champion and world No 15 Garbine Muguruza, former world No 1 Angelique Kerber, world No 16 Madison Keys, last year's finalist Elena Rybakina, and Tunisia's Ons Jabeur contribute to a fiercely competitive field.

“We are privileged once again to have the opportunity to see so many of the world’s top women players fighting for the coveted title,” said tournament director Salah Tahlak.

“As always, competition will be fierce and although any of those who have enjoyed outstanding success both in Dubai and elsewhere will be favourite to lift the trophy, previous years have produced many surprises and upsets and success is never guaranteed.

"The only certainty is that we will enjoy a terrific spectacle of top class tennis throughout the tournament.”