50-Love: Leylah Fernandez joins WTA’s 50th anniversary celebration at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
WTA players, coaches and officials – including world No.39 Leylah Fernandez - joined forces with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to mark its 50th anniversary.
Dubai, UAE – February 20, 2023: The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the principal organising body of women’s professional tennis, joined hands with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to mark its 50th anniversary.
WTA players, coaches and officials teamed up with Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships representatives and tournament staff to form a human ’50’ on Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium’s famed centre court on the eve of this year’s event, which runs until February 25 featuring 17 of the world’s Top-20 female players chasing WTA 1000 glory.
Canadian ace Leylah Annie Fernandez, the world No.39, was one of the players to take part in the landmark celebration. She said: “Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the WTA here in Dubai means a lot to me. I am super honoured and proud to be a part of the WTA and to hopefully inspire young women to achieve their dreams. I think the WTA has been doing a great job in past few years. It has a long way to go, but we are on the right track.
“I came out here with all the staff and the members of the WTA for the 50th anniversary, I was able to take pictures, meet another Leylah who was right beside me, which was amazing and then throw some tennis balls, have fun with them, it was a cool experience.”
Salah Tahlak, Joint COO and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, added: “The WTA commemorating its 50th anniversary here in Dubai is quite amazing. The organisation is a role model for other sporting bodies to follow in improving the sporting landscape for women around the world and promoting equality and inclusion for all.”
The WTA was established on June 21, 1973, on the eve of Wimbledon Championships, with the goal of promoting fairness and equality in women’s sports. The organisation governs the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Today, the WTA has more than 2,500 players from 100 countries and over 50 tournaments held annually across six continents.
