The Dubai Tennis Championships or Dubai Open (also known as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for sponsorship reasons) (formerly known for sponsorship reasons as the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships and the Dubai Duty Free Men's and Women's Championships ) is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai , United Arab Emirates on outdoor hardcourts .
115-633: The tournament takes place at the end of February and organizes a men's and women's event. The tournament takes place under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai . In 2001 the ATP upgraded the tournament from an ATP 250 level to the more prestigious ATP 500 level tournament. On the WTA Tour , it alternated yearly between
230-518: A WTA 1000 level tournament and a WTA 500 level tournament, until 2024, when it remained a WTA 1000 event from the prior year. Prior to the 1990s there was an annual Dubai Tennis Championship played at the British Embassy. The Dubai Tennis Championships was the third tournament in pro tennis history to award equal prize money for both men and women, until 2021. The courts usually have a medium-fast speed considered to be similar in speed to
345-670: A 6–0, 3–0 lead in the latter match. A quarterfinal defeat in Hong Kong to in-form Wang Qiang , coupled with Svitolina's decision not to play in the final week of the year at either Moscow or Luxembourg City , meant that qualification for the WTA Finals in Singapore would rest on the performances of Karolína Plíšková and Kiki Bertens in Moscow. Plíšková's defeat in the second round ensured that Svitolina would qualify for Singapore for
460-668: A coaching consultant, Svitolina advanced to the semifinals in Dubai , defeating qualifier Jana Čepelová , earning her first top-10 win of the year over second seed Garbiñe Muguruza, and battling past CoCo Vandeweghe in three sets, before losing to eventual champion Sara Errani . Svitolina subsequently lost in the first round in Doha to Denisa Allertová . Her next tournament was the Malaysian Open where she defeated Miyu Kato , Risa Ozaki , Kristína Kučová , and Zhu Lin en route to
575-553: A decree banning the imprisonment of journalists following an incident in which local journalists were accused of libel and sentenced to jail terms. The Palm Islands were developed by Nakheel Properties , which Mohammed founded. The Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives is a charitable foundation which consolidates the work of some 33 charitable foundations, entities and initiatives which, together, implement more than 1,400 development programs, including
690-637: A documentary featuring Latifa's video messages that she made secretly under enforced detention in Dubai on her father's orders. Mohammed is an equestrian and is the founder of the Maktoum family -owned Godolphin stable and the owner of Darley , a thoroughbred breeding operation, operational in six countries. In 2012, he rode the horse Madji Du Pont 160 km to take the FEI World Endurance Championship. Sheikh Mohammed
805-530: A final during the season, Svitolina's overall consistency managed to secure her spot as the eighth seed at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen for the third successive year. She was drawn into the Purple Group alongside Karolína Plíšková, US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who was later replaced by Sofia Kenin, and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep. Svitolina topped her group, winning all three matches without dropping
920-679: A major split with leading trainer Henry Cecil after a disagreement over racing a horse Mohammed insisted was injured. Cecil took the argument public and Mohammed removed all his horses from Cecil's stable. Godolphin 's first win, Balanchine taking the Oaks at Epsom Downs , England, in 1994, was to mark the beginning of a winning streak with horses such as Lammtarra , Daylami , Fantastic Light , Street Cry , Sulamani , Dubawi , and Ramonti among them. Dubai Millennium , said to be Mohammed's favourite, won nine of his ten starts before succumbing to injury followed by grass sickness in 2001. In 1996,
1035-619: A number of assets including logistics company, DP World , property developer Nakheel Properties , and investment company Istithmar World . With more than 50,000 employees in over 100 cities around the globe, the Group has real estate, logistics and other business investments in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company is owned by the government of Dubai . Sheikh Mohammed's personal corporate portfolio
1150-558: A number-one-ranked player by defeating Halep, Svitolina lost her other two matches, including a two-set drubbing by eventual champion Wozniacki, which ultimately placed her third in the group. She finished the year ranked at No. 6. Svitolina began her 2018 season by capturing the Brisbane International title, defeating qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the final. She then competed at the Australian Open as
1265-481: A public vote, as the name would "send a message of optimism to millions of young Arabs," since "Arab civilisation once played a great role in contributing to human knowledge, and [would] play that role again." Mohammed announced that the Hope mission had succeeded at orbit insertion on 9 February 2021, and shared the first picture the probe had captured days later. Hope became the first Arab mission to space, as well as
SECTION 10
#17327796979641380-515: A rematch of the previous year's final. At the French Open , Svitolina posted wins against Ajla Tomljanović and Viktória Kužmová , before being upset in the third round by Mihaela Buzărnescu . She began her grass-court season with a run to the quarterfinals of Birmingham , losing again to Buzărnescu. Svitolina was then upset in the first round of Wimbledon by recent Mallorca champion Tatjana Maria . She enjoyed moderate success during
1495-557: A second-round loss to Daria Gavrilova in Madrid , and a first-round loss to qualifier Monica Puig in Rome . Entering the French Open in poor form, Svitolina beat Romanian qualifier Sorana Cîrstea and wildcard Taylor Townsend before beating nemesis and former world No. 1, Ana Ivanovic, in straight sets. She then lost in the fourth round to world No. 1, defending champion, and eventual finalist Serena Williams. In Birmingham , she lost in
1610-470: A set and 5–1 and held a match point against the 2014 finalist, but lost in three sets (the third set at love). At Wimbledon , she surpassed her previous performances by reaching the fourth round, defeating Birmingham finalist and potential dark horse Ashleigh Barty in the first round. She then eased past Francesca Schiavone and Carina Witthöft , before bowing out to 13th seed and French Open champion Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets. Her fifth title of
1725-407: A set. Her semifinal match against Belinda Bencic was cut short when Bencic retired with a leg injury down 4–1 in the final set, meaning that Svitolina would advance to the final for the second year in succession, as well as her first final since winning the title in 2018. She failed to defend her title, however, losing in straight sets to Ashleigh Barty. This meant Svitolina failed to win a title during
1840-416: A spirit of tolerance across the community, building a cohesive society, strengthening the UAE's standing and position as a model of tolerance, as well as renouncing extremism and all forms of discrimination among people on the basis of religion, sex, race, color or language, in addition to honoring all entities and institutions contributing to the promotion of tolerance and open, interfaith dialogue. Mohammed
1955-580: A spot in her second successive Grand Slam semifinal. She was then defeated in straight sets by Serena Williams. She subsequently returned to her career-high ranking position of No. 3. Svitolina reached three consecutive quarterfinals in the season-closing Asian swing, losing to Kristina Mladenovic in Zhengzhou , eventual runner-up Alison Riske in Wuhan , and Kiki Bertens in Beijing . Despite failing to reach
2070-507: A technology hub and free trade zone. Offering companies long leases, full ownership, and fast access to government services, DIC grew from its first tenants in October 2000, to a current zone employing about 15,000 people. In November 2000, it was joined by Dubai Media City , a content and media production-free zone, which is co-located with DIC. The launch of DIC came with assurances from Mohammed regarding media freedoms. In 2007, he issued
2185-493: Is autocratic . On 5 March 2020, a British court ruled that on the balance of probabilities , Mohammed had abducted two of his daughters, Shamsa and Latifa , and had threatened his former wife, the Jordanian princess Haya bint Hussein . Allegedly, Shamsa and Latifa were forcibly medicated while held in Dubai under Mohammed's orders since 2000 and 2018, respectively. On 16 February 2021, BBC 's Panorama broadcast
2300-453: Is a major figure in international thoroughbred horse racing and breeding . He owns Darley Stud , the biggest horse breeding operation in the world with farms in the United States, Ireland, England, and Australia. In 1985 he bought the Irish thoroughbred Park Appeal for an undisclosed sum at the end of her second season. She went on to produce at least nine winners from twelve foals and
2415-405: Is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai , and serves as the vice president and prime minister of the UAE . Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum as UAE vice president, UAE prime minister, and ruler of Dubai following the latter's death in 2006. A billionaire, Mohammed generates most of his income from real estate and is described as "one of
SECTION 20
#17327796979642530-581: Is prohibited. Scholars characterize the UAE as authoritarian. According to human rights organizations, there are systematic human rights violations , including the torture and forced disappearance of government critics. There is a blurred line between the assets of the state of Dubai and those of the Al Maktoum ruling family. Mohammed issued a law in 2006 to form the Dubai Establishment for Women Development, renamed by law in 2009 as
2645-490: Is the Dubai Holding Group, which is involved in a variety of investments. Dubai Holding benefits from its association with the ruling family of Dubai , and is given free land by the Dubai government. Mohammed was responsible for the launch of Emirates Airline . Through the 1970s, as well as his role as head of Dubai Defence Force and UAE Minister of Defence, Mohammed oversaw Dubai's energy resources and
2760-886: Is the ancestor of many successful horses. Mohammed had raced horses as a child (he would share his breakfast with his horse on the way to school) but he attended his first formal race at Newmarket in 1967 with his brother Hamdan, watching Royal Palace win the 2,000 guineas . Becoming an owner in his own right, ten years later he won his first race with Hatta at Brighton. And five years after that, Mohammed and Hamdan had three studs and 100 horses under training. In late 1981, Mohammed purchased Gainsborough Stud at Woolton Hill , near Newbury , Berkshire, United Kingdom. He owns Ballysheehan Stud in County Tipperary, Ireland; as well as Gainsborough Farm Inc. in Versailles, Kentucky , United States. His racing operations include
2875-720: Is the third of four sons of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum , ruler of Dubai . The Al Maktoum family is Dubai 's ruling family and descendants of the House of Al-Falasi , of which Mohammed is the tribal leader. His mother was Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, daughter of former ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan . He grew up in a house without electricity. A hundred people or more lived there, including guards and maids. From
2990-782: The $ 25k tournament in Kharkiv in May 2010. Svitolina also reached the final of the girls' singles event at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships , where she lost to Eugenie Bouchard . Svitolina qualified for the US Open . She was defeated in the first round by 12th seed and eventual quarterfinalist Ana Ivanovic . She won the WTA 125 Royal Indian Open title in Pune , defeating Andreja Klepač , Rutuja Bhosale , Luksika Kumkhum , former top-10 player Andrea Petkovic , and Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm in
3105-563: The 2006 Preakness Stakes with Bernardini in the US. In 2008, he bought the Woodlands Stud empire for more than $ 460 million. The same year, he nearly bought out Charlton Athletic but he later turned down. At the age of 63, Mohammed won the 2012 World Endurance Championship over a 160 km course. Both his thoroughbreds and endurance horses have failed drug tests – although his trainers (including Mahmood Al Zarooni ) have accepted
3220-548: The 2018 Melbourne Cup . An early 2000s British police investigation of allegations, made by a former riding instructor about the attempted escape of Mohammed's daughter Latifa (born 1985) from her family estate in England and the subsequent kidnapping on a street in Cambridge of Latifa's sister Shamsa in 2001, was inconclusive. On 11 March 2018, a video was released of Sheikha Latifa after her failed attempt to flee
3335-507: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and became the first Olympian to win a medal in tennis for Ukraine. In 2022, Svitolina took a break from professional tennis to give birth to her first child. She made a strong comeback upon her return to competition in 2023, winning a WTA Tour title and reaching the French Open quarterfinals and the Wimbledon semifinals (beating world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the latter) in her first few tournaments back. Svitolina
3450-472: The Australian Open , Svitolina defeated two-time Grand Slam champion and three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Svetlana Kuznetsova in the opening round in straight sets. She went on to reach the third round, losing to Sloane Stephens in straight sets. After defending her Baku Cup title by beating Bojana Jovanovski in the final, Svitolina played at the Western & Southern Open where she recorded
3565-723: The Dubai Women's Establishment . He also formed the UAE Gender Balance Council in 2015. On 19 October 2020, Mohammed led the UAE Council of Ministers meeting that ratified a peace agreement with Israel , normalizing diplomatic relationships between the countries. The Council, again headed by Mohammed, approved the decision to found an Emirati embassy in Tel Aviv in January, and Mohammed swore in
Dubai Tennis Championships - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-799: The Dubai World Cup was inaugurated as the world's richest horserace, drawing the legendary American dirt track horse Cigar to race in Dubai. Today, held at the Meydan Racecourse , the race meeting carries a prize of $ 27 million. In the UK, Mohammed's horses have won Group One races including several of the British Classic Races . His horses have also won the Irish Derby Stakes , the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and,
3795-960: The Essalaam Mosque in Rotterdam , the Netherlands. In June 2017, two new initiatives were added to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives , within the "Empowering Communities" sector, namely the International Institute for Tolerance and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Tolerance. In this respect, Sheikh Mohammed issued Law No. (9) of 2017 on the Establishment of the International Institute for Tolerance and Decree No. (23) of 2017 on
3910-679: The Jumeirah Beach Hotel , the first property managed by Jumeirah , the hotel management company launched by Mohammed in 1997 and headed by ex-Trust House Forte executive Gerald Lawless. While work began on both hotels at the same time, the island to house the Burj Al Arab required three years to build before construction began above ground. Jumeirah 's international expansion, driven after it became part of Dubai Holding in 2004, encompasses 22 hotels in ten countries. On 29 October 1999, Mohammed announced Dubai Internet City ,
4025-526: The Jumeirah Group . Some of these are held by Dubai Holding . Mohammed has overseen the development of certain projects in Dubai , such as the Palm Islands and the Burj Al Arab hotel, as well as Burj Khalifa , the tallest building in the world as of 2024. Mohammed is the absolute ruler of Dubai and the prime minister of the UAE, a position appointed by the president . The government
4140-780: The Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot , passing out with the sword of honour as the top Commonwealth student. He also travelled to Italy to train as a pilot. On Mohammed's return from military training to Dubai, his father appointed him as the head of the Dubai Police Force and the Dubai Defence Force (which later became a part of the Union Defence Force ) when he was only 20 years old. In January 1968, Mohammed
4255-658: The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (previously the Dubai School of Government) is an academic and research institution in the area of public policy and administration. Mohammed made a grant of 600 houses to Gaza following the 2008–2009 Gaza war . In 2000, Mohammed donated €4 million for the construction of
4370-691: The US Open Series , reaching the semifinals in Montreal , where she was the defending champion, and the quarterfinals of Cincinnati , losing there to eventual champion Kiki Bertens. She reached the round of 16 at the US Open for the second straight year, losing to Anastasija Sevastova in three sets. Svitolina's struggles with form continued into the Asian swing, with back-to-back opening round losses to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in Wuhan , and Aleksandra Krunić in Beijing , despite opening up
4485-571: The Ukrainian and French languages since the COVID-19 quarantine at the 2021 Australian Open . In January 2022, she promised, in an interview with Dmitry Gordon , to master the Ukrainian language. Svitolina's greatest achievement as a junior was winning the French Open girls event in 2010, beating Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the final. She reached her first professional singles final at
4600-540: The Union Defence Force and Sheikh Saqr's forces – mostly Egyptian mercenaries who had entered the UAE through Ras Al Khaimah – Mohammed accepted Saqr's surrender. Sheikh Khalid had been killed in the action, leading to the accession of his brother Sultan as ruler of Sharjah. Mohammed delivered Saqr to UAE president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who put Saqr under house arrest in Al Ain . In 1973, Mohammed
4715-461: The world-number-one ranking for the first time. She overcame Kateřina Siniaková in a rain-interrupted three-set encounter, before easing past Evgeniya Rodina and Shelby Rogers to reach the round of 16 at the US Open for the first time. She was then defeated by eventual runner-up Madison Keys in three sets. Despite missing a large part of the Asian swing, Svitolina still secured her place at
Dubai Tennis Championships - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-690: The 2018 WTA Finals and three Premier 5 -level tournaments: the Dubai Tennis Championships , the Italian Open , and the Canadian Open . She has also won two titles in doubles, both at the İstanbul Cup , in 2014 and 2015. Svitolina produced her best performances at the majors in 2019, reaching two semifinals at Wimbledon and the US Open . In 2021, Svitolina won the Olympic bronze medal in the women's singles tournament at
4945-701: The 23rd seed in Indian Wells , she defeated Alison Van Uytvanck and Lucie Šafářová , before losing in the fourth round to Timea Bacsinszky . The following week in Miami , she defeated Bojana Jovanovski before losing in the third round to the eighth seed Ekaterina Makarova . As the top seed at a tournament for the first time in Bogotá , Svitolina reached the semifinals, defeating Louisa Chirico , Danka Kovinić and Irina Falconi , before losing to eventual champion Teliana Pereira . She continued her successful start to
5060-463: The Australian Open. She was, however, afflicted by a neck and shoulder injury and was defeated by fourth seed and eventual champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets. Svitolina then reached back-to-back semifinals in Doha , losing with the lead in the final set against Simona Halep, and Dubai , where she was the two-time defending champion, losing in a third-set tiebreak to eventual champion Belinda Bencic. Svitolina reached her third consecutive semifinal of
5175-414: The Aviation Club. The construction of the Dubai Tennis Stadium also led to the development of various food & beverage entertainment locations in and around the stadium base, like the Irish and Century Villages. In 2012, a 293-bedroom hotel was constructed on-site that hosts many of the players and officials during the 2 week event. The inaugural ATP men's tournament was won by Karel Nováček in 1993 who
5290-423: The BBC shows Latifa saying she has been "a hostage" for over a year "with no access to medical help" in " solitary confinement " without access to medical or legal help in a "villa jail" with windows and doors barred shut, and guarded by police. The governments of Dubai and the UAE have not responded to requests for comment from the BBC. Despite her family's insistence that she has been enjoying time with them at home
5405-428: The Desert to the Stars" was launched from the International Space Station (ISS) through Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi . Mohammed has overseen the creation and growth of a number of businesses and economic assets of Dubai, with a number held by two companies under his ownership, Dubai World and Dubai Holding . According to the laws of Dubai, the ruling family owns all undeveloped land in Dubai, which has allowed
5520-426: The Formation of a Board of Trustees and Decree No. (28) of 2017 on the Appointment of a Managing Director for the International Institute for Tolerance. In this respect, Law No. (9) of 2017 includes the launch of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Tolerance, administered in accordance with the provisions and statute of said Law. Hence, the establishment of the International Institute for Tolerance aims at instilling
5635-415: The Shanghai and Swiss Indoor (Basel) courts. The Dubai Tennis Championships debuted at the Aviation Club in 1993 as an ATP 250 tournament. At the time there was no formal stadium and the tournament was hosted on hardcourts surrounded by temporary scaffold seating to host a total of 3000 viewers across all courts. In 1996, the Dubai Tennis Championships took place at the newly erected Dubai Tennis Stadium at
5750-502: The Soviet Union. Svitolina's grass-court season was significantly less successful, losing in three sets in the second round of Eastbourne to Heather Watson . As the 17th seed at Wimbledon , she came from a set down to beat Misaki Doi , who had beaten her at the same stage the previous year, before again losing in the second round to Australian Casey Dellacqua . Despite losing in the first round of İstanbul to Magdaléna Rybáriková , Svitolina successfully defended her doubles title from
5865-491: The UAE and subsequent disappearance, in which she claimed she was fleeing from her family, made allegations of abuse, and said her father was responsible for a number of murders, including the murder of his deceased older brother's wife. The escape attempt was the focus of a documentary by Australian broadcaster Nine News as well as BBC Newsnight investigation. In December 2018, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson , after meeting Latifa in
SECTION 50
#17327796979645980-416: The age of 22. A period of uncertainty and instability followed the Union of the United Arab Emirates, including skirmishes between tribes over property, straddling new borders. On 24 January 1972, the exiled former ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah , Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi , led an insurrectionist coup against his successor, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi . Following a spirited firefight between
6095-419: The age of four, Mohammed was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies . In 1955, he began formal education at Al Ahmedia School. At the age of 10, he moved to Al Shaab School, and two years later, attended Dubai Secondary School. In 1966, with his cousin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum , he attended the Bell Educational Trust 's English Language School in the United Kingdom. He subsequently studied at
6210-404: The balance of their hostages and handed over the plane in return for safe passage. In 1977, Mohammed oversaw the integration of Dubai's military forces with those of the other emirates . On 3 January 1995, Mohammed's brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum , ruler of Dubai , signed two decrees. One decree appointed Mohammed as crown prince and the other appointed their brother Hamdan as
6325-412: The biggest victories of her career, coming from a break down in the third set to defeat former WTA No. 1 , Caroline Wozniacki , in three sets in the third round. Svitolina subsequently lost in the fourth round to Ekaterina Makarova, who beat her at the same tournament the prior year. Svitolina began her clay-court season with a disappointing first-round loss to Alexandra Panova in Bogotá , followed by
6440-412: The blame. His endurance racing stable has also been involved in other scandals, including both fatal injuries, and ringers. In 2015, the FEI suspended the United Arab Emirates following a series of scandals. In the 15th Asian Games in 2006 , the sheikh's eldest son, Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum , took the individual gold in endurance riding . Mohammed's sons Rashid, Ahmed, Majid, and Hamdan took
6555-423: The clay-court season by winning her third career title and first on clay in Marrakech , recovering from 2–5 down in the opening set to defeat Tímea Babos , in straight sets. The victory propelled her to a career high ranking of 21. She also reached the semifinals in doubles with compatriot Olga Savchuk . The following week in Madrid , after easily dispatching Daniela Hantuchová , Svitolina lost to Ana Ivanovic for
6670-424: The death of his brother Maktoum. The following day, the Federal National Council selected him as the new vice president of the UAE . On 11 February, the Council approved President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan 's nomination of Sheikh Mohammed for prime minister. Mohammed is the absolute monarch of Dubai. The government is described as autocratic , as there are no democratic institutions, and internal dissent
6785-424: The deputy ruler of Dubai. Mohammed created the Dubai Shopping Festival in late 1995, an annual event that has become a significant contributor to the economy of the UAE . In 2001, Mohammed ordered the arrest of Obaid Saqr bin-Busit, the head of Dubai Customs and the chairman of the World Customs Association. After roughly a decade of de facto rule, Mohammed became the ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006, upon
6900-422: The family to prosper from real estate development. During Mohammed's rule, Dubai has seen enormous population growth, causing a real estate boom in Dubai. The boom was in part facilitated by Sheikh Mohammed's 2002 decree that foreigners would be allowed to purchase property in Dubai. Mohammed established Dubai World by decree, leading to the company's launch on 2 July 2006, as a holding company consolidating
7015-402: The favourites to win the tournament. Svitolina progressed through her first three matches with relative ease, defeating Yaroslava Shvedova, Tsvetana Pironkova and Magda Linette respectively. Svitolina then overcame qualifier Petra Martić in a tight three set encounter to advance to her second major quarterfinal. She faced Simona Halep in a rematch of the Italian Open final. Svitolina led by
SECTION 60
#17327796979647130-476: The final where she beat a resurgent Eugenie Bouchard in a rain-interrupted marathon to win her fourth WTA Tour title. This victory saw her maintain her perfect record in WTA finals, as well as improving her ranking to a career high of 14. At the Indian Wells Open , 17th-seed Svitolina defeated Annika Beck, before losing in straight sets to ninth-seed Roberta Vinci . Then, in Miami, after defeating Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai , Svitolina scored one of
7245-497: The final, she came from a set down to beat Sloane Stephens, winning the biggest title of her career. Svitolina ended the year as the world No. 4. Svitolina opened the season with an unsuccessful title defense in Brisbane ; she lost her first match to the previous year's finalist, Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Seeded sixth at the Australian Open , she defeated qualifier Viktorija Golubic , Viktória Kužmová, Zhang Shuai, and 17th seed Madison Keys to make her second consecutive quarterfinal at
7360-418: The final. Svitolina gained direct entry into the Australian Open , where she was defeated by fifth seed Angelique Kerber in the first round. She won her first WTA title at the Baku Cup by beating Shahar Pe'er ; in doing so, Svitolina became the first teenager to win a WTA tournament since February 2012. The victory led to a jump of 32 spots in the WTA rankings, landing her at No. 49 on 29 July 2013. At
7475-407: The final. After losing to Carla Suárez Navarro in the third round of Indian Wells , she produced her best ever result in Miami , reaching the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets. Rebounding from a second-round loss in Madrid to Suárez Navarro, Svitolina claimed her second straight Italian Open crown, defeating top seed Simona Halep in two sets, in
7590-439: The final. Svitolina next competed in Ukraine's Fed Cup tie against Australia, where she won both of her singles rubbers to help Ukraine set up a play-off against Germany. Svitolina continued her strong start to the season in Dubai , where she defeated Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets in the final to capture her first title at Premier 5-level. This win propelled her into the WTA top 10 for the first time in her career, making her
7705-423: The finals; Andy Roddick and Elena Dementieva became the new champions. In 2005, the Dubai Tennis Championships implemented equal prize money policy becoming the third professional tennis event to do so after the US Open and Australian Open . In February 2009, Israeli player Shahar Pe'er was denied an entry visa by the United Arab Emirates , a country that did not have diplomatic relations with Israel at
7820-407: The first Emirati ambassador to Israel, Mahmoud Al Khajah, a month later. Mohammed founded the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in 2015, which announced it would be launching a spacecraft to Mars to study the planet’s atmosphere; He stated that the planet was chosen for its "epic challenge," saying it would benefit the Emirati economy . He announced that the mission would be called Hope after
7935-599: The first Ukrainian ever to do so. There, she faced eventual champion Simona Halep and was defeated in two sets. The North American hardcourt season began for Svitolina at San Jose , where as the top seed, she fell to Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals. She would then fall to Sofia Kenin in both the quarterfinals of Toronto and the round of 16 at Cincinnati . Entering the US Open as the No. 5 seed, Svitolina defeated Whitney Osuigwe , Venus Williams, Dayana Yastremska and Madison Keys to reach her first US Open quarterfinal. There, she defeated Johanna Konta in straight sets for
8050-482: The first Ukrainian ever to do so. Svitolina failed to carry her momentum into the American hard-court swing, losing in the fourth round of Indian Wells to Garbiñe Muguruza, and the second round of Miami to Bethanie Mattek-Sands . She began the clay-court season by capturing her third title of the year in İstanbul . Rebounding from a disappointing loss to Zheng Saisai in the first round of Madrid , Svitolina then proceeded to reach her second Premier-5-level final of
8165-447: The first of three missions in July 2020—the others from the United States and China–to arrive at Mars. In 2020, Mohammed announced a second mission, this one to the moon. The Emirates Lunar Mission used a lunar rover named Rashid , reportedly built entirely in the UAE. It was launched on 11 December 2022 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. In a historic first, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s book titled "The Journey From
8280-504: The first round of Tianjin to Elena Vesnina . Despite this disappointing end to her season, Svitolina's consistency throughout the year earned her a spot as the eighth seed at the inaugural WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. She was drawn into Group B with second seed Carla Suárez Navarro and Andrea Petkovic. Svitolina topped the group by winning both her matches, advancing to the semifinals where she lost to Karolína Plíšková. Her last match of
8395-473: The first round to Carla Suárez Navarro. At Wimbledon, she beat Naomi Broady in straight sets before being upset by Yaroslava Shvedova . At the Rio Olympics , Svitolina scored her first win over defending champion and then-world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the third round to reach the quarterfinals, defeating the out-of-sorts American in straight sets. Svitolina failed to follow up her landmark victory in
8510-532: The first top-ten victory of her career, defeating recently crowned Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová in the second round. She proceeded to reach her first quarterfinal at Premier-5 level, eventually losing to Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. Svitolina reached her first Premier-5 semifinal in the first edition of the WTA tournament in Wuhan , defeating Camila Giorgi , Sabine Lisicki , Garbiñe Muguruza via walkover, and Angelique Kerber before losing to Petra Kvitová in
8625-487: The fourth seed, faced qualifier Ivana Jorović and won in straight sets. Against Kateřina Siniaková, Svitolina prevailed in three sets. She then had two straight-sets wins over qualifier and compatriot Marta Kostyuk and Denisa Allertová to advance to her first Australian Open quarterfinal where she was upset by Elise Mertens in straight sets. Svitolina's 11th career title came after a successful defence of her crown in Dubai , where she brushed aside Daria Kasatkina in
8740-468: The largest aeroplane order in history, with $ 99 billion combined orders with Airbus for its A380 and Boeing for its 777X . The Burj Al Arab was inaugurated in December 1999. The hotel, constructed from a design by WS Atkins in response to a brief from Mohammed to create "a truly iconic" building, styles itself as "the world's most luxurious hotel". It was constructed on an island offshore from
8855-597: The most titles (five) and, alongside partner Cara Black (2007–09), the most back-to-back titles (three). [REDACTED] Peng Shuai 25°14′34.33″N 55°20′33″E / 25.2428694°N 55.34250°E / 25.2428694; 55.34250 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( Arabic : محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم , romanized : Muḥammad bin Rāšid Āl Maktūm ; born 15 July 1949)
8970-424: The new company. A further $ 75 million in facilities and materials was provided, but Emirates has always maintained that it has received no further subsidies throughout the company's meteoric growth to become one of the world's leading airlines. In 1989, Mohammed inaugurated the first Dubai Airshow . In 2013, the exhibition had grown to over 1,000 exhibiting companies, and was the venue for Emirates ' placement of
9085-637: The next round, however, losing to eventual bronze medalist Petra Kvitová. American hardcourt season began with a run to the third round of Montréal , losing to Angelique Kerber. After a disappointing early loss to Daria Gavrilova in Cincinnati , she rebounded at New Haven , reaching the final before losing to Agnieszka Radwańska. At the US Open , Svitolina reached the third round for the second consecutive year with wins over Mandy Minella and Lauren Davis , but she lost to Petra Kvitová once again. The Asian swing proved to be fruitful for Svitolina, reaching
9200-483: The ownership of Darley Stables and he is the leading partner in his family's Godolphin Stables . Mohammed hosts the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse . By 1992, Mohammed had started 'wintering' his horses in Dubai, frequently against the advice of trainers and pundits in the UK. The results were a string of high-profile wins, and by 1994 he founded Godolphin . In 1995, his hands-on approach to racing resulted in
9315-439: The past two years, Latifa says in the series of videos released by her advocates that she is "a hostage" and fears for her life. "Every day, I'm worried about my safety in my life. I don't really know if I'm going to survive this situation." "The police threaten me that they would take me outside and shoot me if I didn't cooperate with them," she said. "They also threatened me that I would be in prison my whole life and I'll never see
9430-453: The presence of other family members, said that Latifa was now in the care of her family. Her statement was criticised by human rights groups, who said that Robinson would not have been able to tell in the meeting whether Latifa truly had psychological issues. A spokeswoman for "The Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice" confirmed that Robinson was approached by Latifa's stepmother Princess Haya bint Hussein , an old friend of Robinson's, and
9545-532: The previous year, this time partnering Daria Gavrilova . She began U.S. hardcourt season with a run to the semifinals in Stanford , losing in straight sets to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. At the Rogers Cup , Svitolina lost in the first round to Victoria Azarenka. She bettered her performance from the previous year in Cincinnati , defeating Alison Riske , Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Garcia to reach
9660-507: The quarterfinals, before defeating Lucie Šafářová for the second time this year to progress to her second Premier-5 semifinal, where she lost to Serena Williams. Svitolina concluded her warm up for the US Open in New Haven , where she retired from her first-round match against Madison Keys . She progressed to the third round of the US Open , defeating Elizaveta Kulichkova and Kaia Kanepi , before losing to 13th seed Ekaterina Makarova for
9775-458: The season ranked 14th, with an impressive 13–5 win–loss record following the US Open. Svitolina began her 2017 season with a strong showing in Brisbane , defeating world No. 1, Angelique Kerber, in the quarterfinals, before losing to eventual champion Karolína Plíšková in the following round. The victory over Kerber signified her third win over a number-one-ranked player in five months. Svitolina
9890-521: The season was against Pauline Parmentier in the first round of the WTA 125 tournament in Limoges , which she lost on a final-set tiebreak. Svitolina began her season at the Hopman Cup , representing Ukraine with Alexandr Dolgopolov . She was undefeated in her singles matches in the round-robin stage, defeating Victoria Duval , Karolína Plíšková, and Jarmila Wolfe . Svitolina and Dolgopolov were
10005-536: The second successive year. As the sixth seed, she was drawn into the White Group, alongside defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, and Czechs Plíšková and Petra Kvitová. She won all three of her round-robin matches, first snapping a seven-match losing streak against Kvitová, defeating her in straight sets. She then defeated both Plíšková and Wozniacki in three sets to secure her place in the semifinals alongside Plíšková. She defeated Kiki Bertens in three sets, and in
10120-537: The semifinals of both Tokyo , where she was defeated by Naomi Osaka, and Beijing , her first semifinal at Premier-Mandatory level, losing to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska. As a result, her ranking was propelled back up to 15, one place shy of her career high, and guaranteed her a place in Zhuhai for the second year running. Her good form continued at the last Premier event of the season in Moscow , where she reached
10235-409: The semifinals, her third in four tournaments, before bowing out to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Svitolina concluded her season as the fourth seed in Zhuhai. She topped her group by defeating Kiki Bertens and Elena Vesnina, and then came from a set down to defeat top seed Johanna Konta in the semifinals to advance to her third final of the year, where she lost to Kvitová. Svitolina finished
10350-488: The semifinals. She began the new season at the Brisbane International where she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova . At the Australian Open , Svitolina reached the third round, and won the first set against world No. 1 and eventual champion, Serena Williams, before losing in three sets. She fell in the second round in both Dubai and Doha , losing in tight three-set matches to Petra Kvitová and Victoria Azarenka , respectively. As
10465-438: The sixth time in her career. A similar scenario occurred in Rome , where she defeated Flavia Pennetta in straight sets before losing to Venus Williams . At the French Open , after comfortably seeing off Yanina Wickmayer in her opening match, Svitolina had to recover from 0–3 in the second set and 1–4 in the final set to beat Yulia Putintseva in a match that lasted over three hours. Another tight three-set victory ensued in
10580-493: The sun again." Elina Svitolina Elina Mykhailivna Svitolina ( Ukrainian : Еліна Михайлівна Світоліна , pronounced [ɛˈlʲinɑ̝ s⁽ʲ⁾vʲiˈtɔlʲinɑ̝] ; born 12 September 1994) is a Ukrainian professional tennis player. She reached career-high rankings of No. 3 in singles and No. 108 in doubles by the WTA . Svitolina has won 17 WTA Tour singles titles, including the 2018 WTA Finals , and has reached three major singles semifinals. Svitolina first broke into
10695-665: The team gold in endurance riding, his niece Latifa took a bronze in show jumping , and his daughter Maitha led the UAE team in taekwondo . In 2013, when the UAE national football team won the Gulf Cup , Mohammed gave the team 50 million dirhams ($ 13.7 million). His wife awarded the team a further 25 million dirhams ($ 6.8 million), while their grandsons contributed 12 million dirhams ($ 3.3 million). Godolphin's Cross Counter , ridden by Kerrin McEvoy and trained by Charlie Appleby won
10810-470: The third round against Annika Beck , before Svitolina defeated Alizé Cornet in a rain-interrupted fourth-round encounter to set up a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal against seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, which she lost in straight sets. Svitolina rose to No. 17 after this tournament, surpassing Alona Bondarenko as the highest-ranked Ukrainian woman in the Open Era, including women from Ukraine who played under
10925-468: The third time this year. The Asian hardcourt swing began in Tokyo for Svitolina, where she lost in the second round to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska . Svitolina failed to repeat her success from the previous year in Wuhan , losing in the third round to Karolína Plíšková . Similarly disappointing results ensued for Svitolina, losing in the second round of Beijing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova , and
11040-596: The time. Tournament director Salah Tahlak said that Pe'er was refused on the grounds that her appearance could incite anger in the Arab country, after she had already faced protests earlier at the ASB Classic over the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict . A number of top-seeded players, among them Venus Williams , condemned the action not to grant Pe'er a visa. In response, the Dubai Tennis Championship
11155-593: The winners of their group, and advanced to the final, where the Australian pairing of Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova defeated them 2–0, with Svitolina losing her singles match in straight sets. At the Sydney International , Svitolina lost in the first round to Angelique Kerber. In Melbourne , she defeated Victoria Duval in straight sets, before losing to qualifier Naomi Osaka in the second round. In her first tournament with Justine Henin acting as
11270-475: The women's singles, Justine Henin (2003–04, 2006–07) holds the record for most titles (four) and shares with Venus Williams (2009–10, 2014) and Elina Svitolina (2017–18) the record for most consecutive titles (two). In men's doubles, Mahesh Bhupathi (1998, 2004, 2008, 2012–13) has won the most overall titles (five), and co-holds with Grant Connell (1995–96) the record for most consecutive titles (two). In women's doubles, Liezel Huber (2007–09, 2011–12) took
11385-403: The world's most prominent real estate developers". There is a blurred line between the assets of the government of Dubai and those of the ruling Al Maktoum family . Land which is owned by him is managed as an asset of the state. He oversaw the growth of Dubai into a global city , as well as the launch of a number of government-owned enterprises including Emirates Airline , DP World , and
11500-510: The world's top 50 in July 2013, reached the top 20 in June 2015, and then the top 10 in May 2017, making her the first Ukrainian woman to reach the top 10 in rankings after surpassing compatriot Alona Bondarenko . After winning her first WTA Tour title in 2013, she won five additional titles until 2017, during which she won five titles that same year to propel her into the top 10. Among her titles are
11615-637: The year at Indian Wells . In her first Premier Mandatory semifinal since 2016, she lost in three sets to 18-year-old wildcard and eventual champion Bianca Andreescu . The next week at the Miami Open , she suffered a surprise defeat in her opening match against Wang Yafan . Svitolina later revealed that she had been struggling with knee pain for several weeks and announced she would take a short break to recover. Svitolina's clay-court season began with back-to-back opening round losses to Pauline Parmentier in Madrid and to Victoria Azarenka in Rome , where she
11730-513: The year, and fourth overall, in Rome . After defeating two top-5 players en route in Karolína Plíšková and Garbiñe Muguruza, she faced off against Simona Halep , whom she defeated in three sets to claim the title. The win propelled her to a career high of No. 6 in the singles rankings, as well as to the top spot in the Race to Singapore. She then started her campaign at the French Open as one of
11845-536: The year, and third successive at Premier 5-level, came in Toronto , where she defeated four top-10 players en route in Venus Williams, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki. Svitolina's first loss of the season at Premier-5-level came the following week in the third round of Cincinnati , losing to Julia Görges . She entered the US Open knowing that a run to the semifinals would see her claim
11960-550: The year-end WTA Finals in Singapore, making her the first Ukrainian ever to do so. As the third seed in Beijing , she progressed to her eighth quarterfinal of the year with relative ease, defeating wildcard Zhu Lin, recent Wuhan finalist Ashleigh Barty and Elena Vesnina. There, she was defeated by Caroline Garcia on a final-set tiebreak. Svitolina was drawn into the Red Group at the WTA Finals, alongside Halep, Wozniacki and Caroline Garcia. Despite earning her fifth career win over
12075-722: Was 13, after businessman Yuriy Sapronov became her sponsor. Sapronov had seen her play at one of his children's tournaments when she was 12 and was impressed, leading to his investment in her training and further professional development. Svitolina officially still resides in Kharkiv but trains abroad, which limits her presence in Odesa and/or Kharkiv, and also has a residence in London. She has said that in her early career she turned down offers to change her citizenship in exchange for "large financial sums". Svitolina has been actively learning
12190-597: Was born in Odesa to Ukrainian parents, Mikhaylo Svitolin (a former wrestler ) and Olena Svitolina (a former competitive rower ). She has a Jewish grandmother. She was named after the famous Soviet actress Elina Bystritskaya . She has an older brother, Yulian. As a child, she noticed that her brother was getting a lot of attention for playing tennis. This inspired her to take up the sport to regain some of her father's attention. She started playing at age five. Svitolina and her family moved to Kharkiv , Ukraine, when she
12305-471: Was fined a record US$ 300,000. The fine was appealed by DTC, but the WTA Tour Board rejected the appeal. Pe'er was awarded a guarantee to enter the next (2010) edition of the event, plus US$ 44,250, an amount equal to the average prize money she earned per tournament in 2008. A number of highly ranked tennis players, including 2008 winner Andy Roddick , pulled out of the men's event (ATP 500 Dubai) which
12420-691: Was in charge of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority . It was in this latter role, in March 1985, that he founded Emirates Airline , tasking then-head of Dnata , Maurice Flanagan , with launching a new airline to be called Emirates after a dispute with Gulf Air over Dubai's ' Open Skies ' policy. The launch budget of the airline was $ 10 million (the amount Flanagan said he needed to launch an airline) and its inaugural flight took place on 25 October 1985. Sheikh Mohammed appointed his uncle Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum as chairman of
12535-472: Was involved in protracted negotiations with the hijackers of JAL 404 , led by Japanese Red Army member Osamu Maruouka, which landed in Dubai after being hijacked as it departed Schiphol Airport . Although unsuccessful in obtaining the release of the hostages (they were finally freed, and the 747 blown up, in Libya), he was more successful in a later negotiation with the three hijackers of KLM 861 , who released
12650-536: Was present when his father and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan first met in the desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi at Argoub El Sedira to agree to the formation of a union of emirates following British notification of intent to withdraw from the Trucial States . When the new country of the United Arab Emirates was founded on 2 December 1971, Mohammed became its first minister of defence at
12765-427: Was ranked world number 23 at the time. The inaugural WTA women's tournament debuted in 2001 as a Premier tournament and was won by Martina Hingis . For five years, Swiss Roger Federer , on the men's side, and Belgian Justine Henin , on the women's side, dominated the singles' tournaments. Between 2003 and 2007, Federer and Henin each won the singles title four times. However, in 2008, neither player managed to reach
12880-757: Was requested to go to Dubai by Princess Haya and that Haya paid the fare, less than two weeks after the BBC ran a documentary detailing Latifa's failed escape attempt in March. Robinson admits she was "horribly tricked" when photographs of the private lunch were made public and that both she and Haya had been told of details of Latifa's bipolar disorder , a condition which she does not have. Latifa's cousin Marcus Essabri reported that Latifa's photos with Mary Robinson seem to show Latifa medicated while held in Dubai under her father's orders. She has not been seen in public since. In February 2021, video footage obtained by
12995-453: Was scheduled to take place the week after the women's event. As a result, the UAE issued Israeli Andy Ram a visa for the men's tournament. In the men's singles, Roger Federer (winner in 2003–05, 2007, 2012, 2014–15, 2019, runner-up in 2006, 2011) holds the records for most titles (eight), most finals (ten), and most consecutive titles (three), sharing the last record with Novak Djokovic (winner in 2009–11, 2013, 2020, runner-up in 2015). In
13110-528: Was seeded 11th at the Australian Open , her highest seeding to date. She equalled her best showing in Melbourne, reaching the third round with victories over Galina Voskoboeva and Julia Boserup , before losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Svitolina won her fifth career title at the Taiwan Open , fending off four match points in her quarterfinal encounter with Ons Jabeur, before defeating Peng Shuai in
13225-464: Was the two-time defending champion and had held a match point leading in the final set. At the French Open , Svitolina was defeated in the third round by the 2016 champion, Garbiñe Muguruza. After losing in her opening round at both Birmingham and Eastbourne , Svitolina proceeded to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon with victories over Daria Gavrilova, Margarita Gasparyan , Maria Sakkari , Petra Martić and Karolína Muchová, becoming
#963036