The organizers of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have revealed that three wildcard invitations have been extended to Gael Monfils, a former world No. 6, Jordanian player Abdullah Shalbaya, and Sumit Nagal, the top-ranked player in India. These players are set to participate in the 32nd edition of the men’s tournament, which falls under the 500-point category and commences this week.
Monfils, aged 37 years and five months, showcased his prowess by defeating fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-4 in the Qatar Open, earning the distinction of becoming the oldest semi-finalist in the tournament’s history.
Abdullah Shalbaya, a 20-year-old player ranked 230th globally, delivered an impressive performance in the same tournament, narrowly losing to Alexei Popyrin, the 46th-ranked player in the world, in a two-sets-to-one match.
Sumit Nagal, who secured the Wimbledon youth doubles title in 2015, recently achieved a career-best ranking of 98th in the world after winning the ATP Challenger Tour title in Chennai earlier this month.
Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, expressed delight in welcoming Gael Monfils to Dubai for the fourth time, emphasizing Monfils’ prominent status in the tennis world. McLoughlin also expressed satisfaction in having young talents like Abdullah and Sumit participate in the tournament, adding to the competition’s overall quality.
Salah Tahlak, CEO of Joint Operations at Dubai Duty Free and Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, shared his pleasure with the inclusion of stars such as Gael Monfils, Abdullah Shalbaya, and Sumit Nagal in this year’s tournament. He highlighted that their participation enhances the tournament’s quality and brings valuable experience to the week of ATP Championship competitions.
