Simunyu set to mark history at Dubai tennis championships

Teenage prodigy Celine Simunyu will make history at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday by becoming the first Irish female player to be awarded a wildcard for the qualifying rounds of the WTA event.

The 19-year-old, the No.1 ranked Irish women’s tennis player, has been representing her country in the Billie Jean Cup since 2021.

Currently ranked 633 in the WTA rankings, Simunyu will face No. 61 Cristina Bucsa on Court 7 this afternoon in the first qualifying round at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Free Stadium.

Simunyu recently tasted success with Swiss doubles partner Sebastiana Scilipoti at the ITF/Tennis Europe W15 in Turkey, while opponent Bucsa reached the quarter-finals of the women’s singles at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and the same stage at the Qatar Open doubles tournament.

The women’s competition will run between February 18 and 24, before the 32nd staging of the ATP Tour 500 tournament from February 26 to March 2.

Tickets for both the women’s WTA tournament will be available online.