The 28th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open will take place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha between January 6-11, sharing the first week of the season with the inaugural ATP Cup. Unlike in the past, the organizers in Doha didn’t have to compete against the fellow ATP 250 tournaments but the strong team event by the ATP, gathering players who didn’t want to travel to Australia that early or didn’t have the place in the national squad.
Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic had all won the title here in the past, with Roberto Bautista Agut as the most recent champion, beating Tomas Berdych in the title match this January.
Five players from the top-40 will fight for the crown in Doha, with a former finalist Stan Wawrinka leading the field as the top seed ahead of 2018 finalist Andrey Rublev, with both players making significant progress on the ATP list in the season behind us.
Just like Roger Federer, Wawrinka opted to skip the ATP Cup and kick off the season in Doha, returning for the sixth time and seeking a good result after earning only six victories at this event in the past. Andrey Rublev gave his best in the national squad at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid but will leave Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev to fight at the ATP Cup, seeking deep run in Doha after some impressive victories in 2019 that carried him into the top-25.
Champion from eight years ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the third seed in Doha as another player who returned to the top in 2019, just like Wawrinka and Rublev. Milos Raonic should be among the title favorites as well if he leaves injuries behind him, making a debut in Doha and looking for a healthy start of the year after all the setbacks in the last couple of seasons.
The rest of the field is not that strong, with Laslo Djere, Filip Krajinovic, Adrian Mannarino, Frances Tiafoe and Fernando Verdasco all trying to spoil the party for the favorites and open the season on a high note. Tournament Director Karim Alami said, “We are happy to announce the opening of sales of tickets for the 2020 edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
The tournament is once again offering our teeming fans the opportunity to watch some of the world’s best players live while they enjoy a great package of fun and entertainment we have carefully put together for them at the Public Village. I enjoin all tennis lovers to make their purchases on time to avoid a last-minute rush.
Tickets: https://www.qatartennis.org/qeo2020ticket/
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