Dubai: Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and member of the Dubai Council, has crowned Barbora Krejcikova, the women’s singles winner of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Ms. Krejcikova was honoured at a ceremony held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium after she capped a thrilling WTA 1000 week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with her win over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final.
The ceremony held in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, was attended by Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Tennis Federation, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free; Nasser Youssef Al Marzouqi, General Secretary of the UAE Tennis Federation, Salah Tahlak, Joint COO of Dubai Duty Free and Director of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and Sinead Sibai, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Dubai Duty Free.
The 23rd WTA event of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships witnessed strong competition between 18 of the world’s top 20 ranked players. The tournament, one of the most prominent international sporting events hosted in Dubai, is concurrently commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
“It was a great final, I played some of my best tennis, and I am really happy with the result. I really admire Iga for what she has done and is doing in the game. I have so much respect for her she is an inspiration. It was a great final, and I’m definitely very happy with the result,” Ms. Krejcikova shared after her straight sets win.
“It’s always nice to defend a title, especially here in Dubai, which is a really big tournament, and especially with Liudmila. We just started to play together, but we already feel a really good atmosphere in our team, and I really enjoy playing with her,” Ms. Veronika Kudermetova, who won last year’s doubles title with Belgium’s Elise Mertens, commented.