Casper Ruud and Denis Shapovalov set to make debut at Abu Dhabi exhibition event in December

The Mubadala World Tennis Championships is an annual tennis exhibition event that features some of the sport's top stars as they prepare for the Australian Open, and it will return with fans in attendance to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, from December 16-18.

Tournament organizers revealed World No.8 Casper Ruud and Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov as the first two male entrants at the event. The pair will be making their debut in Abu Dhabi, and will be joined by US Open winner Emma Raducanu and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic on the women's side.

“Announcing the players for the Championship is always a special moment and we have two special players in Casper and Denis," said John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment. "Our goal is to bring the world’s best talent and build on the legacy of our Championship and both players are the perfect fit.”

“They are young, supremely talented, have had successes this season and are great additions to the line-up alongside Emma and Belinda. We are once again on track to bring the best-of-the-best from the world of tennis. Stay tuned for more announcements and rest assured the Championship is, as always, a must attend for all tennis fans.”

The remaining four players for the exciting, world-class eight-player line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.