Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge Set to Host 28th Edition in Dubai
The organising committee has announced that the 28th edition of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge will be held from 1st to 7th December at the Habtoor Grande Resort in Dubai, with a strong field of 80 players set to compete.
Returning to the courts will be Ukrainian Daria Snigur, the 2019 runner-up who claimed the singles crown in 2021. Snigur is the only former champion confirmed for this year’s event. Heading the line-up is Austrian Julia Grabher with a WTA Ranking of No.92, followed by Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja (No.94) and Hungarian Dalma Galfi (No.96), a regular participant in Dubai.
Rounding out the top five are Anastasia Zakharova (No.101) and Austria’s Sinja Kraus (No.105).
This year’s contenders are entering Dubai on the back of significant performances. The 29-year-old Grabher secured her second WTA 125 title in October 2025 by winning the Florianopolis Open in Brazil, where she defeated Carole Monnet in the final. This victory propelled her back into the top 100 for the first time since November 2023.
Semenistaja, currently ranked No.2 in the entry list, made her Grand Slam debut at the US Open, qualifying for the main draw before bowing out against Peyton Stearns in the opening round. Nevertheless, the Latvian rose to world No.90 in late October 2025, following her title run at the Les Franqueses del Valles W100 event.
Ranked third, Dalma Galfi—the 2015 ITF Junior World Champion—has shown solid form throughout the season. The 27-year-old clinched her first WTA 125 title at the Oeiras Ladies Open in April and followed up with victory at the WTA 125 Catalonia Open in the subsequent week.
One of the biggest names to watch remains Daria Snigur. In 2024, Snigur enjoyed her best Tour results on grass, shining at both Wimbledon and Nottingham, and also secured a place in the main draw at the Australian Open.
The event boasts an illustrious history, with past champions such as Sorana Cirstea (2020), Ana Bogdan (2019), Peng Shuai (2018), Belinda Bencic (2017), Kimiko Date-Krumm (2012), Sania Mirza (2010), Maria Kirilenko (2007), Kateryna Bondarenko (2006), Marion Bartoli (2005), Jelena Jankovic (2003), and the inaugural winner Kyra Nagy (1998).
The singles qualifying rounds will start on 30th November, with the main draw commencing 1st December.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
