The Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) has renewed its partnership with DGrade as the Arabian Gulf’s leading tennis experience continues its sustainability efforts.
During the three-day festival, which runs from 16 – 18 December at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City, in Abu Dhabi, DGrade will collect single-use plastic including bottles used by spectators and players and facilitate a closed loop by converting them into clothes, including MWTC staff uniforms.
With responsible consumption and production, a key pillar of the UAE’s sustainability goals, and the UAE hosting COP 28 next year, the recycling initiative reinforces MWTC’s commitment to the country’s environmental agenda.
DGrade processes up to one billion plastic bottles a year into high-quality flake suitable for its Greenspun yarn production and also provides recycled content to local packaging manufacturers, supporting a circular economy. The process for making Greenspun yarn produces 55 per cent less carbon emissions, uses 50 and 20 per cent less energy and water, respectively. Furthermore, no oil is used throughout the process.
“The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is dedicated to creating a sporting legacy, securing the biggest and best names to the region, and is committed to driving the UAE’s sustainability initiatives forward. We have a collective social responsibility to ensure a sustainable future for all. Through this extension of our partnership with DGrade, which already includes a partnership for our music events at Etihad Park, we continue to bring the UAE’s commitment to responsible consumption and production to life,” said John Lickrish, CEO Flash Entertainment.
“Sustainability is at our very core and organisations such as Flash Entertainment bring our mission to life. Working with the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in recent years we have driven the UAE’s sustainability goals forward and will continue to do so for years to come,” added Kris Barber, DGrade’s Founder and CEO.
The 14th Mubadala World Tennis Championship will see World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, World No.3 Casper Ruud, defending champion Andrey Rublev, 2022 US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe, World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Britain’s No.1 male tennis player Cameron Norrie. Ons Jabeur, the two-time 2022 Grand Slam finalist and World No.2, will look to defend her MWTC title against 2021 US Open Champion and British No.1 Emma Raducanu in an intriguing women’s match on Day One.
In addition to top-class tennis action on court, the region’s leading tennis experience will also bring its traditional mix of festive family fun, interactive activities, and player meet and greets in the renowned Tennis Village.
