title: 2018 Mubadala World Tennis Championship – Men's singles
text: # 2018 Mubadala World Tennis Championship – Men's singles
  
  Kevin Anderson was the competition's defending champion, but lost in the final from Novak Djokovic.
  
  ## Seeds
  
  * Novak Djokovic (champion)
  * Rafael Nadal (semifinals) (withdrew from playing 3rd place play-off)
  * Kevin Anderson (final) (runner-up)
  * Dominic Thiem (quarterfinals) (fourth place)
  * Karen Khachanov (semifinals) (third place)
  * Hyeon Chung (quarterfinals) (fifth place)
  
  ## Draw
  
  ### Key
  
  * Q = Qualifier
  * WC = Wild card
  * LL = Lucky loser
  * Alt = Alternate
  * SE = Special exempt
  * PR = Protected ranking
  * ITF = ITF entry
  * JE = Junior exempt
  * w/o = Walkover
  * r = Retired
  * d = Defaulted
  * SR = Special ranking
  
  ### Draw
  
  | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | | | | | 1 | Novak Djokovic | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 5 | Karen Khachanov | 4 | 2 | | | | | | |
  | 4 | Dominic Thiem | $6^3$ | 3 | | 5 | Karen Khachanov | 4 | 2 | | | | | | |
  | 5 | Karen Khachanov | $7^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 5 | Karen Khachanov | $7^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | Novak Djokovic | 4 | 7 | 7 |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Kevin Anderson | 6 | 5 | 5 |
  | 3 | Kevin Anderson | $6^4$ | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Kevin Anderson | 6 | 5 | 5 |
  | 6 | Hyeon Chung | $7^7$ | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
  | 6 | Hyeon Chung | $7^7$ | 2 | 1 | 3 | Kevin Anderson | 4 | 6 | 6 | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match |
  | | | | | | 2 | Rafael Nadal | 6 | 3 | 4 |
  | | | | | | 2 | Rafael Nadal | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Karen Khachanov | 6 | 4 | [10] |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Dominic Thiem | 3 | 6 | [3] |
  
  ### Play-offs
  
  | Fifth Place Match | Fifth Place Match | Fifth Place Match | Fifth Place Match | Fifth Place Match |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 6 | Hyeon Chung | 6 | 6 | |
  | 4 | Dominic Thiem | 2 | 3 | |
  