The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium — officially known as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium at Dubai Aviation Club — is the home of one of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments. Located in Al Garhoud, close to Dubai International Airport, this purpose-built stadium has hosted ATP and WTA Tour events since 1993, making it one of the longest-running stop on the professional tennis circuit.

Venue Facts

• Capacity: Approximately 5,000 (main stadium); additional show courts on site
• Location: Garhoud, Dubai (near Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport)
• Tournament: Barclays Dubai World Tennis Championship (ATP 500) — men’s; Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (WTA 1000) — women’s
• Annual dates: Women’s tournament typically late February; Men’s tournament first two weeks of March

Getting There

Metro: The venue is within walking distance of the GGICO Metro Station on the Green Line. From there it is approximately a 10-15 minute walk through the Dubai Tennis Stadium precinct, or a 2-3 minute taxi ride.

Taxi/Careem: Taxis drop off at the main entrance on Al Garhoud Road. Given the location near the airport, Careem and Uber are abundant in this area.

Parking: On-site parking is available and generally sufficient for match days, though it fills up for high-profile finals and big-name matches. Dubai Aviation Club has a large adjacent car park. Parking is generally free for match ticket holders.

Stadium Layout and Seating

The main Center Court is the focus of both tournaments. Seating is split into:

• Courtside seats: First few rows closest to the court. Best views, highest prices. Extremely popular for big matches.
• Lower Tier: Main bowl seating covering all four sides of the court. Good sightlines from most positions — a compact stadium means there really is no bad seat.
• Upper Tier: Elevated seating on the longer sides. Still excellent views and better shade later in the day.
• VIP / Hospitality Boxes: Corporate hospitality suites on the upper level, available for the full tournament or individual days.

The tournament grounds also include multiple show courts where qualifying matches and early rounds are played. Ground passes give you access to all show courts — this is excellent value to watch players warm up and see top players in relaxed environments before their main court matches.

The Tournaments

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (WTA 1000) typically takes place in mid-to-late February. At WTA 1000 level, it attracts most of the world’s top female players including past champions Simona Halep, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, and more. The Barclays Dubai World Tennis Championship (ATP 500) follows in the first two weeks of March and has featured Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and virtually every major ATP player.

Practical Tips for Attendees

Evening sessions are more pleasant during the Dubai summer heat — morning matches can be very hot in late February. The site has good food and beverage options inside the grounds. Dress code is smart casual for standard sessions; VIP areas may have specific requirements.

Ticket Buying Tips

Official tickets are sold via the tournament website (barclaysdubaiworldtennis.com and dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com). Tournament packages (week passes, session tickets, courtside packages) go on sale several months in advance. Singles finals are the most in-demand and sell out earliest — book as soon as they go on sale.

If official tickets are sold out, the secondary market (Viagogo, StubHub) typically has inventory for most sessions. Prices for finals and semifinals on secondary markets can run 3-5x face value for desirable seats.