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Few people could possibly have imagined as the first ball was struck at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships back in 1993 that it would develop into not only the leading tennis event in the region, but one of the best in the world with the 2010 Championships seeing an unprecedented 10 of the world's top 10 women and 7 of the top 10 men taking part.

Nobody could have foreseen the building of one of the most imposing yet intimate tennis stadiums seen anywhere on the ATP and WTA Tours, except perhaps for Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. It is his drive that launched what has now become a $4 million extravaganza that has attracted almost every top player in the world, and it was his driving force that was behind the construction of a stadium that has become one of Dubai's most popular gathering places throughout the year.

Nowhere else in the world can people find a tennis environment that all year-round features a host of restaurants and entertainment, with The Irish Village on one side and a huge selection of top-class restaurants on the other, all set in beautifully landscaped surroundings.

"Over the past 18 Men's Opens, the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships has become one of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments of the year by our players", said Adam Helfant, ATP World Tour Executive Chairman and President. "We're looking forward to another exciting week of tennis in Dubai in February and have no doubt this event will continue to meet the high standard it sets year after year", he added.

It is all a far cry from the temporary stands built for the first staging of the event, when Karel Novacek from the Czech Republic defeated Frenchman Fabrice Santoro to claim the winners cheque. Since those early days in 1993, the tournament has not only grown into a ‘must-play' stop for most of the superstars of the game, but it has been a trailblazer in offering equal opportunities for both men and women.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary here after arriving in Dubai for the first time in 2001, was able in 2005 to celebrate a landmark decision by Dubai Duty Free to offer the women players a purse of $1 million, matching the prize money available to the men. Other tournaments such as Wimbledon and the French Open could only look on, take note, and later follow the example set by the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in offering equal prize money.

Just one year later the prize money was increased to $1.5 million, before rising in 2009 to $2 million. It is little wonder numerous awards have been heaped upon the Championships, which have included it being voted as the WTA Tournament of the Year for 2001, and the ATP Tournament of the Year in 1998, 2003 and 2004.

The top seed in 1993 was 17th-ranked Alexander Volkov of Russia, who lost in the quarter-finals to Fabrice Santoro. As the reputation and stature of the tournament grew and grew, and word was passed around the locker room that the event was second to none in facilities, atmosphere and enthusiastic spectator support, so greater numbers of highly-ranked stars began to add Dubai to their schedule.

Many greats of the game came to the emirate but failed to lift the title, including Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker and Andre Agassi, three of the most successful players of all time. Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera, four-time Grand Slam winner Jim Courier, Wimbledon, Australian Open and US Open champion Stefan Edberg, French Open winner Carlos Moya, Australian Open finalist Marcelo Rios and triple French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten were also among the biggest names in the history of the game who were unable to transfer their Grand Slam success to winning in Dubai.

However, the top players kept on coming, and a new milestone was reached in 2004 when, for the first time, the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships featured both reigning world number ones, Roger Federer and Justine Henin, both reigning Australian Open champions and the champions of all four Grand Slams played over the previous 12 months.

"It is remarkable that so many of the best players in the world have come to Dubai and left without being able to win the title," said McLoughlin. "It is also remarkable to see how the tournament has continued to grow year on year to become one of the biggest sporting events in the Middle East. It has been a wonderful 18 Championships and we look forward to many more."

The first women's champion was Switzerland's Martina Hingis, who defeated Nathalie Tauziat of France. In later years Grand Slam winners Amelie Mauresmo, Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport and Olympic gold medal winner Elena Dementieva all added their name to the winners board. Following Novacek's maiden title, Magnus Gustafsson, Wayne Ferreira, Goran Ivanisevic, Thomas Muster, Alex Corretja, Jerome Golmard, Nicolas Kiefer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Fabrice Santoro, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal have also joined the roll call of champions.

With the high number of Grand Slam champions playing at the Championships, it is almost inevitable that one will walk away with the trophy this month. In 2009 it was the Australian Open 2008 winner Novak Djokovic and reigning Wimbledon champion Venus Williams. This year's action is set to be more fiercely-contested than ever before.

Play at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships begins on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 with the WTA Tour event and continues with the ATP tournament from Monday, February 22nd - 27th.