The highly-anticipated World Tennis League Season 3 kickstarted with electrifying action as the Game Changers Falcons staged a dramatic 29-26 comeback victory over the TSL Hawks in the season opener at the iconic Etihad Arena on Thursday.
The opener delivered edge-of-the-seat excitement, featuring closely contested battles in both doubles and singles categories, culminating in the first Super Shootout of the season.
In the women’s doubles, Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva gave TSL Hawks a strong start, racing to a 2-0 lead. However, Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia led a remarkable comeback for Game Changers Falcons, levelling the game 2-2. The Falcons then surged ahead, leading 4-2, but the Hawks fought back by breaking the Falcons in the seventh game. Saving three set points, the Hawks equalised at 5-5, eventually pushing the set to a tie-break after a 6-6 stalemate. In a thrilling finish, the Hawks clinched the set 7-6, marking an exhilarating start to the season opener.
In the women’s singles, Sabalenka started on a dominant note and surged to a 5-0 lead. However, Rybakina, after a slow start, staged a solid comeback, winning five consecutive games to level at 5-5. During this, she saved three set points across three consecutive games. Although Sabalenka briefly regained her momentum to edge ahead, Rybakina’s resilience forced the set into a tiebreak. Ultimately, Sabalenka prevailed, taking the set 7-6 and giving the Hawks a 14-12 lead.
In the men’s doubles, Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson established a commanding 4-1 lead for the Hawks. However, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov fought back for the Falcons, equalled at 4-4 and led the set by a game. Despite the shift in momentum, Nagal and Thompson regained control to clinch the tie 7-5, while also extending the Hawks’ overall lead to 21-17.
Rublev came out firing on all cylinders for the Falcons in the men’s singles, winning the fourth set, making the overall score 24-26 for his team and took the match into Over Time. Under the unique format of the WTL, if the trailing team claims the fourth set, the overall match extends into Over Time (OT) as a continuation of the final set.
In the OT, Rublev then managed to win two back-to-back games, making the overall score identical to 26-26, pushing it to the first Super Shootout of the season.
Rublev then rode on phenomenal momentum and defeated Thompson 10-6 in the Super Shootout, eventually helping his team earn the bonus points.
Reflecting on what was a closely fought contest, Women’s World No. 1 Sabalenka said, “I feel like it’s really cool to play in Abu Dhabi and promote our sport in this region to bring a young generation to tennis. It was so much fun in the match. It’s really sad to see that you won three sets out of four and you still lost the match. But it was fun. It was going back and forth. The most important thing about the World Tennis League is to have no pressure at all.”
Tennis and music lovers can book their tickets from https://www.etihadarena.ae/en/world-tennis-league or https://abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/93107/world-tennis-league-presents-the-greatest-show-on-court-at-etihad-arena-abu-dhabi-2024.
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Emirates Dubai 7s is returning to The Sevens Stadium from November 27 to 29, with tickets now on sale for the three-day sports and entertainment festival.
The 2026 edition will bring together international rugby, amateur sports, live music and family entertainment, with organisers promising a bigger programme than previous years.
The festival attracted more than 88,000 visitors in 2025 and will again take place during the final weekend of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Ticket prices
Ticket prices for General Admission and Hospitality have stayed the same for a third consecutive year.
Three-day General Admission tickets cost Dh595 per person, while the three-day Family Pass is Dh1,136 for two adults and two children.
Other ticket options
Group pass: Dh446 per person for four or more adults
Saturday or Sunday: Dh455
Friday: Dh75
Under 15s: Free
People of Determination + carer: Dh375
Tickets can be purchased through the Emirates Dubai 7s website and app.
Bigger family attractions
Family entertainment will get a major boost this year as the UAE celebrates the Year of the Family.
The festival will feature its biggest-ever Kids’ Zone, including the UAE’s largest inflatable kids’ zone, along with a Ferris wheel and zipline. More attractions are expected to be announced ahead of the event.
Six sports and top rugby action
Alongside elite rugby, visitors can watch or take part in competitions across six sports — rugby, netball, cricket, WODON3 fitness, Rebound padel and Gaelic Football.
Gaelic Football will join the festival for the first time in 2026.
The Sevens Stadium will also host the opening round of the HSBC SVNS Series 2027, bringing the world’s leading rugby sevens players to Dubai.
The WODON3 Elite final will take place on Pitch 1 between HSBC SVNS matches, with competitors potentially performing in front of crowds of up to 20,000.
Music all weekend
Live entertainment will run throughout the festival, with local and international artists performing across three days.
Last year’s line-up included Tinie Tempah, Sean Paul and Fisher, while the 2026 headline acts will be announced later.
For a premium experience, The Sunroom returns with all-inclusive food and drinks, shaded seating, prime sporting views and dedicated access. Packages start from Dh1,925 per person.
With sport, music and family attractions packed into one weekend, Emirates Dubai 7s is gearing up for another big Dubai event.
Abu Dhabi is set to make basketball history this September as it hosts the first-ever EuroLeague Basketball SuperCup, bringing four of Europe’s top clubs together for a two-day showdown at Etihad Arena.
Taking place on September 18 and 19, 2026, the inaugural tournament will feature Real Madrid, Olympiacos Piraeus, Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul and Dubai Basketball in a Final Four-style competition.
The event is being delivered through a partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Euroleague Basketball, adding another major international sporting event to the capital’s growing calendar.
Two days, four teams and one new trophy
The action gets underway on Friday, September 18, with two semi-finals.
6pm: Olympiacos Piraeus vs Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul
9pm: Dubai Basketball vs Real Madrid
The winners will advance to Saturday night’s championship game, while the losing teams will meet earlier in the day for the third-place match.
On Saturday, September 19:
6pm: Third-place game
9pm: Inaugural EuroLeague Basketball SuperCup Final
The winner will make history as the first team to lift the new trophy.
Abu Dhabi adds another major basketball event
The tournament builds on Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a destination for elite basketball. The capital has hosted a number of major basketball showcases in recent years, helping bring some of the sport’s biggest clubs and stars to UAE audiences.
The new SuperCup will also give fans the chance to see Dubai Basketball compete against some of the biggest names in European club basketball, including Real Madrid.
DCT Abu Dhabi said the event forms part of the emirate’s wider strategy to expand its international sporting calendar while attracting visitors and creating opportunities for local businesses and communities.
Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga described the competition as a new chapter for European club basketball, while CEO Chus Bueno said Abu Dhabi would provide fans with an opportunity to experience the sport at its highest level.
Tickets
Full-package tickets are already available through Etihad Arena, while single-day tickets are scheduled to go on sale on August 31.
EuroLeague SuperCup Prices
Ticket category
Price
Baseline Upper Bowl 2
Dh572
Baseline Upper Bowl 1
Dh668
Central Lower Bowl 2
Dh1,338
Central Lower Bowl 1
Dh1,434
Hollywood 2 Hospitality
Dh9,188
First-row Bench
Dh7,751
First-row Courtside
Dh10,911
Event details
Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi When: September 18–19, 2026 Teams: Real Madrid, Olympiacos Piraeus, Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul, Dubai Basketball For tickets, go to www.etihadarena.ae
A Dubai-based student robotics team has put the UAE on the global STEM map after securing a major award at one of the world’s leading robotics competitions and earning an invitation to an elite international event in the US.
Team UFORCE, representing Unique World Robotics (UWR), finished third in the prestigious Inspire Award category at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Michiana Premier Event, held in Indiana from June 18 to 21.
The Inspire Award is FTC’s highest judged honour, recognising excellence in robot design, engineering, programming, innovation, teamwork and community impact. Team UFORCE competed against 96 top robotics teams from around the world.
Invited to exclusive global event
Following its strong performance, Team UFORCE also competed at the Multinational Tech Invitational (MTI) in Maryland, an invitation-only competition featuring just 44 of the world’s best FTC teams selected from more than 11,000 active teams globally.
Showcasing UAE STEM talent
The 16-member team includes students from schools across Dubai and Sharjah, highlighting the UAE’s growing talent in robotics and engineering.
“This achievement reflects the dedication, innovation and perseverance of our students and mentors,” said Bansan Thomas George, founder of Unique World Robotics.
Head coach Mohammed Mukhtar said competing on global platforms demonstrates the ability of young innovators from the UAE to excel internationally.
Team captain Aarnav Bhargava described the competitions as a valuable opportunity to develop technical skills, teamwork and confidence while competing against some of the world’s best robotics teams.
About FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge is one of the world’s largest youth robotics programmes and is supported by organisations including Google, Amazon and NASA.
The programme also offers students access to scholarships, mentorship opportunities and pathways to leading universities and STEM institutions.
The achievement also reflects the growing impact of firstrobotics.ae, a UAE volunteer-led robotics community that supports students interested in robotics, artificial intelligence and STEM education.