20th November 2024 – Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist in the last two editions of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, returns for another shot at the prestigious title when the tournament takes place from February 1-8, 2025.
The powerful left-hander from Sao Paolo, currently ranked 17th in the world, is the latest player to be confirmed for the third instalment of the WTA 500 event, following last month’s announcement of three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur’s involvement.
Haddad Maia won her first WTA title of the season in September as she came from behind to defeat Daria Kasatkina 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 and claim the Korea Open.
The 28-year-old overcame fan favourite Jabeur in three sets at this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, before going on to lose in a third-set tiebreaker to eventual runner-up, Kasatkina.
Earlier in the 2024 tournament, Haddad Maia, the 2020 Olympic gold medallist, had endured a three-hour 42-minute marathon against Poland’s Magda Linette to clinch her quarterfinal spot.
In 2023, Haddad Maia produced a string of impressive performances during the inaugural Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, defeating Marie Bouzkova, Yulia Putintseva, and Elena Rybakina en route to the semi-finals, where she was beaten by eventual winner Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
Haddad Maia was also a beaten semi-finalist at the 2023 French Open, where she suffered defeat at the hands of eventual winner Iga Świątek.
On returning for the 2025 competition, Haddad Maia said: “I’m thrilled to return to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open once again and compete against some of the world’s best players. The energy from the fans in the Middle East is always incredible and inspires me to perform to my maximum level.
“I’ve had some unforgettable battles in Abu Dhabi, and I’m looking forward to another exciting, challenging tournament in February. Having reached two consecutive semi-finals, I hope I can go even further this time and make my fans proud.”