Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams make long-awaited returns at Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Dec 26, 2017, 11:50 AM

Episode image

The Mubadala World Tennis Championship enters its 10th edition this week as six of the best players in the world battle it out in Abu Dhabi for the winner-takes-all $250,000 prize. Topping the bill is 12-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic, who will be making his return to court following a near-six month absence with injury. Joining the Serbian former world No 1 is Dominic Thiem, the world No 5 from Austria, Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Roberto Bautista Agut, US Open finalist Kevin Anderson, and Russian youngster Andrey Rublev. And for the first time, the tournament will host a women's match, featuring none other than American superstar Serena Williams as she looks to gain some court time ahead of her Australian Open title defence next month. Williams, a 23-time grand slam winner, has not played competitively since winning her title in Melbourne - taking the year out to give birth to her first child. She will take on the breakout star of women's tennis in 2017, Latvia's world No 7 and French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. In a special edition of the Extra Time podcast this week, Jon Turner and Graham Caygill discuss everything to look forward to at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.