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ABU DHABI: The third edition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open begins on Saturday at Zayed Sports City. Arab News spoke to Tournament Director Nigel Gupta about this year’s event, the return of fan favorite Ons Jabeur and the growth of tennis in the region.

• On the start of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

“We are now only a few days away from the start of the tournament and, naturally, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to ensure everything is ready for when the first fans walk through the gates.

“As you can imagine, with events of this size and magnitude, the preparations begin almost as soon as the previous year’s tournament ends. It’s a huge operation, but thankfully we have a fantastic team of dedicated staff who are working collectively to bring it all together.

“The event is now in its third year, and you obviously learn lessons from previous editions, which helps in terms of planning. The biggest difference for 2025 is the new-look Mubadala Tennis Village which, at 15,000 sq. meters, is double the size of previous years. It’s a massive area packed full of [activities and food and beverage] vendors, along with the main stage which is where the draw ceremony and live music performances will take place.”

• On the strength of the line-up in Abu Dhabi

“It’s a very strong field and we are delighted many of the world’s best female players will be taking part in this year’s tournament.

“Elena Rybakina, the reigning champion, is returning to defend her crown, while Daria Kasatkina, who was last year’s beaten finalist, will also be back hoping to go one step further this time.

“Ons Jabeur, a big fan favorite in the region, continues her comeback after missing a large chunk of last season through injury and, as always, I’m sure she will receive fantastic support.

“We also have Belinda Bencic, who won the inaugural Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in 2023, Paula Badosa, fresh from reaching the semifinals at the recent Australian Open, Marketa Vondrousova, winner of Wimbledon in 2023, and Beatriz Haddad Maia, who has reached the semifinal stage two years in a row.

“We have a great mix of experienced stars and young talented prospects, which include the US’s Ashlyn Krueger and Japan’s Wakana Sonobe, who only last weekend won the girls’ singles title at the Australian Open.

• On fan favorite Ons Jabeur of Tunisia

“It’s obviously brilliant, given her profile in the Middle East, to have Ons involved, particularly as she missed a large part of last season through injury. She is hugely popular with the fans, which we saw at last year’s event, but more importantly she is a brilliant player who brings so much quality to the tournament.

“The event continues to grow, and we want the best players competing. Ons undoubtedly fits that bill and we’re looking forward to watching her in action.”

• On Jabeur inspiring a generation of young Arab players

“Ons has a huge profile in this part of the world and it’s certainly something she takes very seriously. She has spoken about this previously and there is no doubt she sets a fantastic example through her professionalism, quality and all-round approach to the game.

“The popularity of tennis in the Middle East across all age groups is growing, which we have seen first-hand through our Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program, where we go into schools in Abu Dhabi to educate youngsters about the sport in a fun and interactive way.

“Ons has played a huge part in this growth through both her performances on-court and the manner in which she conducts herself away from the game. What we want to see moving forward is the next generation of Arab stars following her lead, coming through and making an impact in the sport.”

• On Emma Raducanu joining as a wild card

“We’re obviously delighted a player of Emma’s caliber and standing will be competing at the event. It’s fantastic for us to announce another Grand Slam winner, particularly coming so close to the start of the tournament.

“Emma is an exciting talent and it’s easy to forget she is still only 22. Naturally, winning the US Open at the age of 18 propelled her into the global media spotlight, which obviously brings its own challenges, but she is a fantastic player, and we are looking forward to watching her in action when she plays her first match on Saturday.

“She proved hugely popular with the fans last time, and I’m sure they will be thrilled she is returning, particularly [as] tickets for the opening two days of the tournament are completely free of charge. It’s not often you get the opportunity to watch a Grand Slam winner in action at no cost, so this really is something special.”

• On the evolution of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

“It’s been an upward trajectory since our maiden event in 2023, with the tournament growing in size and stature year on year.

The tournament continues to make a huge impact on the local community through initiatives such as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program, where assemblies are taking place across 50 schools in Abu Dhabi.

“We are also hosting assemblies in five universities, as well as staging Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open-themed roadshows at 10 locations in the capital. Our Chair Umpire Program, meanwhile, is a fantastic initiative for aspiring officials.

“Additionally, the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is a community initiative developed by Mubadala in partnership with the UAE Tennis Federation, which provides a pathway for aspiring players across the UAE to elevate their game. Tournaments have been taking place in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah, with the finals held as part of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. Among the prizes is an all-expenses-paid trip to train at the prestigious Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Spain, where Carlos Alcaraz honed his skills.”

• On the growth of tennis in the Middle East

“The region is hosting more events than ever before, which is pivotal for the long-term development of the sport. The increased number of tournaments is obviously great for fans based here, who now have multiple opportunities to watch the biggest stars in action.

“For example, the week after the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open ends, there is the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, and then the Dubai Duty Free Championship begins. With further events taking place across the region over the course of the year, it’s a very exciting period.”

PEBBLE BEACH, California: Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry decorated stunning views Thursday with a hole-in-one for each on different courses. Russell Henley birdied his last two holes for an 8-under 64 and the lead. And there was Scottie Scheffler, looking very much like he was never away.

Scheffler, out of golf for a month from a freak injury making ravioli, opened with a bogey at Spyglass Hill, didn’t make another bogey the rest of the way, missed only one green and began his encore with a 67.

“I like what I saw today,” Scheffler said, who wound up missing two tournaments to start the year. “I hit a few errant shots out there, but overall kept the course in front of me for the most part, so I was able to make a decent amount of birdies.”

Jordan Spieth, the three-time major champion who last played in August before season-ending surgery on his left wrist, had the birdies dry up after a solid start on the back nine at Spyglass Hill, and he had to settle for a 70.

The conditions were as calm as they probably will get this week, with some cloud cover and cool weather. Pebble Beach typically is the place to be when the wind doesn’t blow because of the scoring opportunities, particularly on the first seven holes. It’s the worst place to be — in golf competition terms, anyway — when the wind arrives.

The crowd was relatively quiet — the product of a signature event and losing 76 players and amateurs, for decades the fabric of the AT&T — until coming to life as Scheffler’s fairway metal barely covered the bunker on the par-5 14 to set up an eagle putt.

But it wasn’t for Scheffler. McIlroy was playing ahead of him, and his sand wedge from 119 yards flew straight into the cup for an ace.

“It’s such an elevated tee that the ball’s in the air and you know it’s on line but you don’t know whether to say, ‘Go!’ or ‘Sit!’ or ‘Spin,’ or ‘Release’ or whatever,” McIlroy said. “You’re looking at it and you’re watching where it might land on the green and the thing just disappears.”

McIlroy shot 66, including a 33 on the back nine without a 3 on his scorecard. He had a 1 from the ace, a birdie on the par-3 12th and birdies on both par 5s.

Lowry was at Pebble Beach when he hit a beauty of 54-degree wedge that landed to the left and rolled into the cup. It was a great shot. And yes, there’s a little fortune for all good golf shots.

“Big bounce, it was perfect. It just spun and spun right into the hole. It was pretty cool,” Lowry said. “I know I’m pretty good at times, but you know, a bit of luck every now and then is helpful, too.”

Jim Nantz of CBS Sports, who lives at Pebble, mentioned “Life complete” for Lowry to have made an ace of one of the prettiest — and famous — par 3s in the world. Augusta National might like a word. Lowry also has a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at the Masters, along with a hole-in-one on the island 17th at the TPC Sawgrass. Luck of the Irish, indeed.

Lowry also opened with a 66 and plays Spyglass Hill on Friday, with the chance of wind and rain increasing each day.

Henley was at Spyglass, which had a course average (69.775) that was 1.6 shots more than Pebble Beach. Viktor Hovland, Cam Davis, Jake Knapp and Justin Rose shot 65 at Pebble Beach, while Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard shot their 65s at Spyglass.

Scheffler went from the hill right of the 10th fairway at Spyglass to a front bunker, blasted out some 20 feet and missed his par putt. That was his only bogey, though he was 1 over until lacing the fairway metal to 30 feet for two-putt birdie on the par-5 14th, just as McIlroy on the hole next to him plucked his ball from the cup.

According to golf analyst Justin Ray, Scheffler had his 100th round on the PGA Tour since 2022 with one bogey or fewer. That’s what McIlroy was raving about when he spoke of golf’s best player earlier in the week. A month away, and a failed attempt at cutting ravioli dough with a wine glass, hasn’t changed that.