Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has become the third player to confirm his place at the ninth edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) in Abu Dhabi.
Tsonga, 31, follows Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray and world No 6 Milos Raonic. This will be the fifth time the Frenchman has participated in the tournament.
“I am really excited to be returning to Abu Dhabi this year,” Tsonga said. “I know the level of competition will be extremely high from the very first match.
“The Mubadala trophy is definitely something I have my sights on and will be a great way to begin the 2017 season. The crowd there always encourages me to play my best tennis and I am looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere and giving the fans what they want.”
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• Andy Murray: Returns for MWTC 2016
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World No 13 Tsonga, who is in China preparing for the Shanghai Open, has won 12 ATP titles and reached a career-high ranking No 5 in 2012.
While trophyless in 2016, Tsonga has performed well at the grand slams, losing to eventual champion Murray in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon after a five-set epic, before succumbing to injury in his US Open quarter-final to world No 1 Novak Djokovic. He also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship will take place December 29-31 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.
The tournament is a “winner takes all” format that will see the champion claim $250,000 (Dh918,000) in prize money.
Tickets start from Dh50 for Category 2 seating. Exclusive premier hospitality packages are also available including food and limited beverages, star player meet and greets and courtside seating.
For more information, visit: www.mubadalawtc.com and www.facebook.com/mubadalaworldtennischampionship
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