DUBAI: From Roger Federer’s record eight titles to Novak Djokovic’s domination — three successive wins from 2009 to 2011 — the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have long proved an event popular with former champions. And that tradition will continue this month as a quartet of previous men’s winners prepare to compete once more.
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From Feb. 23-28, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Ugo Humbert, and Stefanos Tsitsipas will all feature, promising a mix of elite competition, dramatic storylines, and the unmistakable glamour that has made the ATP 500 event a highlight on the men’s calendar.
Coming a week after the city’s WTA 1000 tournament featuring all the world’s top 20 female players, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Al-Garhoud will light up once again with a field that includes eight of the world’s top 20 male players.
This year marks the first time since 2023 that Medvedev — ranked No. 12 in the world — is not the tournament’s top seed. He won his only Dubai title in 2023, beating that year’s top seed Djokovic in the semifinal. A former world No. 1, Medvedev is considered one of the most imposing hard-court players of his generation, with strong defensive resilience and surgical precision from the baseline.
