Former world No. 1 in doubles and nine-time Grand Slam champion Kristina Mladenovic is relishing the opportunity to compete at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, calling it one of the best tournaments of the season. Having lived in Dubai for the past decade, the French star feels at home in the Middle East and appreciates the region’s growing impact on tennis.
I love that Abu Dhabi is now a WTA tournament. I moved to Dubai 10 years ago, and I used to come here and watch exhibitions. The facilities, the organization, and the professionalism at events like Mubadala, Doha, and Dubai are truly world-class.
Mladenovic also highlighted the increasing investment in tennis in Saudi Arabia, seeing it as a positive step for the sport in the region. For Mladenovic, competing in Abu Dhabi is particularly convenient, with the venue being just an hour's drive from her Dubai residence.
Mladenovic, currently ranked 28th in the world in doubles; has played alongside some of the world’s best doubles players. She expressed excitement about her current partnership with China’s Shuai Zhang.
Shuai is an amazing player and person. We’ve played against each other many times, so it’s great to now be on the same side.
The duo has already made strides this season, reaching the quarterfinals in Melbourne before falling to the eventual champions.
Winning two Grand Slams in Paris with Caroline was very special. We’ve also represented France together in the Billie Jean King Cup. But I’ve always been lucky to have great partners, and now I’m looking forward to more success with Shuai.
Though she has built an illustrious doubles career, Mladenovic remains determined to make a singles resurgence. She revealed that she had entered the singles draw in Abu Dhabi but missed out on qualifying by just two spots.
I’m pushing really hard. It’s not easy to balance singles and doubles, and that’s one reason why my singles ranking dropped. But I still have the passion and motivation.
Currently ranked No. 199 (Singles) by WTA, Mladenovic is aiming to break back into the top 100, which would allow her to regularly compete in both singles and doubles at major WTA events.
Mladenovic also addressed Garcia’s recent struggles on the court. Garcia, who was eliminated earlier in the tournament, has faced ups and downs in her career, but Mladenovic offered only support.
Tennis is tough. Performances go up and down — that’s just the life of a professional athlete. There’s no judgment. I admire and respect all my fellow players because it’s so difficult to always be at your best.
With the Middle East continuing to rise as a premier tennis hub, Mladenovic is excited about what the future holds — not just for her career, but for the sport in the region.
I think it’s great for tennis. And for me, it’s the perfect place to compete.
As the season progresses, Mladenovic is focused on improving her singles ranking while continuing to build chemistry with Zhang in doubles. Her love for the game remains strong, and she is eager to take on new challenges.