SAN JOSÉ, CA (July 21, 2021) – Indian superstar and 42-time WTA doubles title winner Sania Mirza will be returning to the Bay Area for the 2021 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic highlighting a doubles field that includes seven players who have won Grand Slam doubles titles, four players who have been ranked World No. 1, and one Olympic Gold Medalist.
Mirza, who last competed at the event in 2008, ranks No. 1 among active players with her 42 career doubles titles including her 2007 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic doubles win. A historic figure in her native country, Mirza holds many firsts including being the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title, first to win a Grand Slam doubles title, and first to achieve a World No. 1 ranking in singles or doubles.
“We are very excited to have Sania (Mirza) return to the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic,” said Vickie Gunnarsson, Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tournament director. “She has so many fans here in the Bay Area and has been an inspiration to so many women in her country. Having her at the event along with Bethanie (Mattek-Sands) and the rest of these extremely talented women will make for a tremendous week of competition for tennis fans.”
The doubles field is loaded with some of the best doubles players in history including former World No. 1s Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA), Latisha Chan (TPE) and Kveta Peschke (CZE).
Mattek-Sands, who will be competing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, is the defending Gold Medalist in mixed doubles have captured the title in 2016 with Jack Sock. She has won 27 career WTA doubles titles, which ranks 6th all-time among active players, along with five Grand Slam doubles titles and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Chan currently ranks third all-time among active players with 33 career WTA doubles titles including one Grand Slam doubles title and three Grand Slam mixed doubles crowns. She teamed with Peschke in 2018 to win the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic doubles title.
Peschke, who has won 35 career doubles titles (3rd all-time among active players), is the two-time defending Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic doubles champion winning the title in 2019 with Nicole Melichar following her 2018 win with Chan. She is also a Grand Slam title winner taking home the Wimbledon doubles title in 2011.
Overall, the doubles field has combined to win 239 WTA doubles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Get your tickets today for this historic Bay Area event as it returns to San José State University, August 2-8, and celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Weeklong ticket packages are also available.
The 50th edition of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic also has one of its most competitive singles draws of the summer hard court season with 17 of the 21 players entered having won at least one WTA singles title and 15 having advanced to a Grand Slam quarterfinal or better, including Grand Slam winners Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, and Jelena Ostapenko.
Other players to watch include 2017 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic champion Madison Keys, World No. 17 Elise Mertens, 2021 Australian Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova, 2021 Roland Garros quarterfinalists Elena Rybakina and Paula Badosa, and Chinese star Zhang Shuai.
Co-founded by the legendary sportswoman, visionary, and activist Billie Jean King, the tournament was the first event of the historic 1971 women's professional tennis tour, a precursor to the WTA. Its list of past champions reads like a who's who of women's tennis, including Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Kim Clijsters.
Tickets can be purchased at www.MubadalaSVC.com, or you can call the tournament ticket office at 1-833-94-MATCH (1-833-946-2824).
Owned and operated by IMG, the tournament features a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw and serves as the opening women's event of the US Open Series.
2021 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic Doubles Acceptance List (as of July 20, 2021)
Last Name, First Name (Country), Ranking
MATTEK-SANDS, BETHANIE (USA), 13 / KRAWCZYK, DESIRAE (USA), 18
DABROWSKI, GABRIELA (CAN), 14 / STEFANI, LUISA (BRA), 23
CHAN, LATISHA (TPE), 20 / CHAN, HAO-CHING (TPE), 20
JURAK, DARIJA (CRO), 19 / KLEPAC, ANDREJA (SLO), 30
PESCHKE, KVETA (CZE), 26 / PEREZ, ELLEN (AUS), 50
HRADECKA, LUCIE (CZE), 24 / BOUZKOVA, MARIE (CZE), 54
OLMOS, GIULIANA (MEX), 27 / SANTAMARIA, SABRINA (USA), 64
CHRISTIAN, KAITLYN (USA), 59 / RODIONOVA, ARINA (AUS), 80
ZHANG, SHUAI (CHN), 49 / HOZUMI, ERI (JPN), 120
MIRZA, SANIA (IND), 137 / MUHAMMAD, ASIA (USA), 35
VAN DER HOEK, ROSALIE (NED), 91 / PATTINAMA KERKHOVE, LESLEY (NED), 95
ABOUT THE MUBADALA SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC: Co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1971, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic celebrates its 50th Anniversary and is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world. Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA 500 level event is the first women's stop on the US Open Series and features a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $565,530.
ABOUT MUBADALA: Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor managing a global portfolio, aimed at generating sustainable financial returns for the Government of Abu Dhabi. Mubadala's $243.4 billion (AED 894 billion) portfolio spans six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes. We leverage our deep sectoral expertise and long-standing partnerships to drive sustainable growth and profit while supporting the continued diversification and global integration of the economy of the United Arab Emirates. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Mubadala has offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, New York, San Francisco and Beijing. For more information about Mubadala Investment Company, please visit: www.mubadala.com
ABOUT THE US OPEN SERIES: The US Open Series serves as a true "regular season" of summer tennis in North America, linking nine summer WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly schedule, the Series centralizes the way tennis is viewed in North America, across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today's top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow's emerging stars, as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grass-roots youth tennis clinics and activities.
ABOUT IMG: IMG is a global leader in sport, events, fashion, and media. The company manages some of the world's greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.
ABOUT SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY: The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San José State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges. With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San José State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce. The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.