The first women's tournament of the season 2021 has officially started on the courts of the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Center.

In terms of the composition of the participants, it turned out to be representative: at once four athletes from the top 10 of the world ranking - Sofia Kenin, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Plishkova and Arina Sobolenko - arrived in the UAE to compete for points and prepare as best as possible for the Australian Open.

Top 10 stars @SofiaKenin, @ElinaSvitolina, @KaPliskova, and @SabalenkaA head the singles field 🤩



More on the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open draw -> https://t.co/2PzDeQKbwcpic.twitter.com/fsfqY926vU

- wta (@WTA) January 4, 2021

The first Grand Slam competition, which usually takes place in the second half of January, has been shifted to 8 February this year.

In addition, the two-week quarantine in Melbourne, which will allow only five hours a day to leave hotel rooms for training, requires additional tempering - both physical and mental.

The tournament in the Emirates provides an opportunity to perfectly rehearse all the nuances of living and working in Australia, since the conditions in Abu Dhabi are very similar to Melbourne.

Usually, the amount of prize money that can be earned in case of victory is also given as a motivation for participating in competitions.

However, today the fees of tennis players are much more modest than in Brisbane, where competitions were held in early January in 2020.

If the organizers of the Australian tournament collected a fund equal to almost one and a half million dollars, then in Abu Dhabi the bonuses are three times less.

However, money is not the main thing for athletes today.

After all, many of them were without playing practice for a long time.

And now they are just happy to enter the court in a competitive mode.

As an example, consider the graph of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Russian woman last played in an official match on October 2, when she lost to Katerina Sinyakova from the Czech Republic in the second round of the French Open (3: 6, 4: 6).

Since the athlete did not participate in the US Open in August, and the autumn segment of the WTA tournaments, most of which takes place in China, has undergone changes due to the pandemic, over the past 11 and a half months, Anastasia has accumulated only four tournaments.

It is not surprising that at some point in the Wednesday duel against Uns Jabir Pavlyuchenkova, having won the game with a score of 6: 5, she was preparing to serve further.

And only after prompting the referee did she go to the rest bench.

“Are we still playing the first set?

Lord!

I’m already completely confused, ”the Russian woman gasped, showing how she was unsettled by the lack of playing practice.

In addition, it is not easy for Europeans in the UAE because of acclimatization.

Usually, the pre-season athletes from this region spend in countries with a warm climate.

Today, due to the pandemic, many stayed at home for the winter - and arrived in the heat of Abu Dhabi after the winter cold, without the possibility of smooth adaptation to the weather.

This affects the mobility of athletes.

And in terms of movement around the court, and in terms of making game decisions.

“It's difficult,” admits Estonian Anette Kontaveit.

- We have only a few days to get comfortable.

At home, I trained indoors for two or three months.

The sensations from outdoor activities are undoubtedly different.

The air is very dry here.

I have been in Estonia for so long that my skin was just unaccustomed at first. "

Not all athletes approach the tournament in the UAE and are psychologically ready.

Someone is oppressed by the emptiness in the stands, since the matches are held without spectators.

Others find it difficult to cope with panic attacks due to the threat of a pandemic, because not only athletes, but also their loved ones are at risk of infection.

Anxiety for family members constantly erodes the focus of attention of tennis players, because of which they cannot act at their maximum.

To cope with this problem, various methods are used.

So, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina hired a psychologist to restore internal balance.

“We saw what the last season brought.

Life is not only on the tennis court.

There is also a personal life.

There is a family, there is also tension coming from outside, ”the tennis player emphasizes.

👀😷



In the Covid-Age, portraits are all about the eyes .. @ElinaSvitolina in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

pic.twitter.com/4r9tPUn2np

- Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) January 5, 2021

“I try to be in a good mood, and for this I need to have the right people around me with the right attitude.

Now it is important for me to tell her (a psychologist

- RT

) about what is happening inside me - even about the smallest and most terrible secrets that would otherwise remain unknown to anyone.

And by starting to work with her, I really freed myself from many moments that caused tension.

She helped me open up, pulled the right strings. "

According to the athlete, finding a psychologist was almost more difficult than finding a suitable coach or husband.

However, after the specialist really worked with the Ukrainian woman, she, by her own admission, began to feel much freer and calmer.

The consultant could not come to Abu Dhabi.

However, Elina constantly communicates with her on the phone, discussing not only personal problems, but also difficult sports moments.

However, Svitolina in the UAE is much easier than competitors.

First, it has been laying the foundation for the season here for several years now.

And secondly, in 2017 she won the first of three WTA titles of the year in the UAE.

Therefore, he feels confident here in a battle against any rival.

And, as a result, it is considered a favorite.

Also in the top is Karolina Plishkova - at least according to statistical logic.

In the first week of the season, the Czech has taken the title for three of the last four years (Brisbane in 2017, 2019 and 2020), with only one defeat in 17 matches.

Let the game begin!

🤗 pic.twitter.com/xW53zy0xVj

- Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) January 5, 2021

Taking into account the fact that in 2021 she began by changing the coach, starting to cooperate with Sasha Bazhin, Carolina's prospects look intriguing.

As well as the potential of Arina Sobolenko.

The Belarusian ended the last season with a series of nine victories, which included titles in Linz and Ostrava.

Plus, for the first time in her career, she made her way into the top 10 of the world rankings, which gives the 22-year-old athlete additional motivation to progress.

Finally, everyone is curious to see what form its last year's winner Sofia Kenin is gaining for the home Australian Open.

Regular “day in the office” #AbuDhabi 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/N2EQR0wnpw

- Sofia Kenin (@SofiaKenin) January 5, 2021

Seeded number one in the UAE, she is the face of the competition and its main PR engine.

However, the athlete does not hide the fact that it is more important for her in Abu Dhabi not to take the main prize, but to approach the Australian stage of the Grand Slam in optimal tone.

This is why she found a couple of extra weeks in her schedule for preparatory work.

And now, through the games, he is preparing to peak.

As for the Russians, only Ekaterina Aleksandrova was among the seeded ones, who closed the list of 17 athletes that were numbered.

Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Aleksandrova, Anastasia Potapova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova were also classified in the main draw.

Potapova and Pavlyuchenkova, unfortunately, finished their performances already in the first round, having failed to cope with Maria Sakkari (4: 6, 2: 6) and Uns Jabbir (6: 7, 3: 6).

But Anastasia Hasanova made her way from qualifying to the tournament - and now four representatives of Russia continue to fight in the tournament.