Milos Raonic has set tennis crowds all over the world alight with his blistering, hard-hitting 125mph serve ever since bursting onto the scene in 2011 when he won his first ATP title.
His aggressive game and entertaining playing style has received plaudits from true greats including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Novak Djokovic and now the Canadian is ready to stun tennis fans in Abu Dhabi as he makes his Mubadala World Tennis Championship debut between 31 December and 2 January.
In his first match at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City, Raonic will take on the South African Kevin Anderson in what will be an intriguing battle between the two debutants who are confirmed for the 2016 season season-opener.
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Completing the star-studded line-up is 14-time Grand Slam winner and former World no.1 Rafael Nadal, reigning French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, pacey Spaniard David Ferrer and crowd favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Speaking ahead of his imminent Mubadala World Tennis Championship debut, Raonic said: “I’ve only heard positive things about this tournament and the city of Abu Dhabi, and looking at the line-up it is for sure going to be a challenging few days.
"It’s really great to be able to test yourself against world-class opponents before the new season and to play in new places, so I can’t wait to get ready for business.
"Hopefully I’ll get to see a lot of Canadian flags in the stands, and although it’s still early, I’ll definitely be looking for a strong performance.”
In addition to the coveted Mubadala World Tennis Championship trophy – whose previous claimants include Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – there is a $250,000 cash prize up for grabs in the capital.
For Raonic though, current world number 4, it is all about getting in perfect shape for his most important season yet.
“I’m excited for 2016, I must admit. I’m still young and still improving, and it's only been two years since I broke into the world’s top-10.
"My target is to add to my five ATP titles and to climb the rankings even further, but it’s also an Olympic year and I’m keen to do well in Rio. Hopefully Abu Dhabi can be the catalyst that I need to prepare for a big year.”
Raonic made his Olympic debut in London 2012 aged only 21, but despite playing the second-longest match of 66 games over three sets in Olympic history, he was knocked out by fellow Mubadala World Tennis Championship regular Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
In order for the prospect of a rematch against the Frenchman in Abu Dhabi to become reality, Raonic must first overcome Kevin Anderson in his opening match and then win a tantalizing semi-final showdown against Stan Wawrinka, while Tsonga needs to defeat David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal.
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship will take place from 31st December – 2nd January 2016 at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City.
