© Getty Images Sport – Bradley Kanaris
Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur are pairing up to play doubles at the Abu Dhabi Open next week, the tournament announced.
The week before the start of the tournament, Osaka and Jabeur accepted a main draw doubles wildcard. When Osaka, 26, and 29-year-old Jabeur step out on the court together in Abu Dhabi, they will be making their debut as a doubles team.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has very rarely played doubles throughout her career. In Abu Dhabi, Osaka will be playing doubles for the first time since 2017. The last time Osaka played doubles her partner was her sister Mari Osaka as the Osaka sisters suffered a first-round defeat in Tokyo in 2017 September.
On the other side, three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur also very rarely plays doubles. In Abu Dhabi, Jabeur will be playing her first doubles tournament of the year and also her first doubles event since 2023 September.
Last year, Jabeur took part in three doubles tournaments, without much success. In her last doubles tournament in Guadalajara, Jabeur and her partner Peyton Stearns exited the tournament in the round-of-16.
Enter Main Draw Doubles wild card #OnSaka 🙌
For the first…
