Dubai Duty Free organizers welcome new world no. 1 Naomi Osaka
On Monday's WTA ranking list, there is a new name standing at the throne, with the 21-year-old Naomi Osaka moving ahead of all the rivals to become the first Asian no. 1! The Japanese has won her second Grand Slam title in a row at Melbourne, beating Petra Kvitova in the final match that was also to determine the new no. 1 and becoming the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 with back-to-back Grand Slam titles. Also, Naomi is the first player since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 who managed to win the second Grand Slam crown right after the maiden one.
Osaka is the youngest player at the top of the WTA rankings since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 and also the 26th different no. 1 player since it all started in 1975. Naomi will take two well-deserved weeks off and she will be back in action in Doha and Dubai, fighting against some of the world's finest rivals as the player to beat now! Dubai Duty Free promises to be one of the strongest tournaments of the season outside Grand Slams, gathering almost all the players from the top-30 and representing a real test for the newly-crowned queen of the women's tennis.
Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova. Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina and Caroline Wozniacki should all be in the draw and chase Naomi Osaka in the final preparation before heading to Indian Wells and Miami. A year ago, Osaka played in Dubai with the ranking of 48 and pretty much everything has changed since then, becoming the two-time Grand Slam champion and adding another big title at Indian Wells. Thus, the organizers can't wait to see her in action in Dubai, highlighting a fantastic field of players that should deliver exciting matches right from the start.
“There is nothing more exciting than seeing a wonderful new talent emerge, and the progress that Naomi Osaka has made in the last year has been remarkable,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free. “We offer her our warmest congratulations for not only her wonderful victory in Melbourne but her rise to world No. 1. We very much look forward to seeing her once again at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.”
“Naomi Osaka has proved beyond doubt that she belongs among the greats of the game, and there is every chance that she will be able to join such stars as Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport and so many others as a Dubai champion,” said Tournament Director Salah Tahlak. “With another eight of the top 10 also competing she faces an enormous challenge, but she has demonstrated that she is able to rise to any occasion.”
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2MFNe7E
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