Britain's Draper beaten by Rinderknech in Dubai
British number one Jack Draper suffers a second-round loss to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on his ATP Tour comeback at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
British number one Jack Draper suffers a second-round loss to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on his ATP Tour comeback at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Tallon Griekspoor was forced to wait two years for a fifth crack at defeating Alexander Bublik. On Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Dutchman finally snapped his losing streak against his rival.
Griekspoor upset the second-seeded Bublik 6-3, 7-6(4) to seal his quarter-final berth at the hard-court ATP 500. The No. 25 player in the PIF ATP Rankings broke the World No. 10’s renowned serve in the second game of the match and rode that success on return to the opening set. In the second, Griekspoor escaped 0/40 to hold serve in the second game before winning four of the final five points in the tie-break to seal his win.
Big time Tallon 😤@Griekii overcomes Bublik 6-3, 7-6(4), snapping a four-match losing streak against him, to advance to the last eight in Dubai!@DDFTennis | #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/VUlR1oVHG6
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 25, 2026
The 82-minute quarter-final encounter took place two years after Griekspoor had heartbreakingly fallen in two tie-break sets to Bublik in Dubai, his fourth defeat in as many tour-level meetings with the Kazakhstani. After his revenge success on Wednesday, the Dutchman improved to 1-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Awaiting Griekspoor in the quarter-finals in the U.A.E. will be Jakub Mensik. The sixth-seeded Czech eased past Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2 to improve to 13-3 for the season. The 20-year-old Mensik, who upset Jannik Sinner in Doha last week, is now 3-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Popyrin.
Four other seeded players booked their last-eight spots on Wednesday: Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev and Jiri Lehecka. Medvedev kicked off the day’s action by ending 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka’s Dubai career with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph. The third-seeded Medvedev, himself a Dubai titlist in 2023, will face Jenson Brooksby next after the American upset seventh seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(6), 6-4.
“I think [I’m moving in the right direction],” said Medvedev after notching his 11th tour-level win of the year. “Two good matches [so far in Dubai]. Convincing in the score, which is sometimes more important. I have more time mentally to prepare for the next round and I’m looking forward to it.”
Top seed Auger-Aliassime also enjoyed a straight-sets second-round triumph. The Canadian blunted the big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for a 6-4, 6-4 victory, and the World No. 8 will next take on Lehecka. The eighth-seeded Czech downed qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6(6), 6-4.
The 2022 Dubai winner Rublev was forced to dig a little deeper than some of his rivals for a quarter-final spot. The fifth seed overcame another former champion Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 to advance to face fourth seed Jack Draper or Arthur Rinderknech.
“I was just trying to do my job,” said Rublev after his two-hour, 23-minute victory. “Trying to play my tennis and keep doing the things I was doing. As soon as I had the chance to play aggressive, I tried to go to the net, to focus on my serve, to serve hard and put pressure on his return, which was not easy because he was serving super hard.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]ATP Tour stars will head to Indian Wells, California for the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season at the BNP Paribas Open. The 50th tour-level edition of the tournament will be headlined by Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event:
The 2026 BNP Paribas Open will be held from 4-15 March. The hard-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1976, will take place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The tournament director is Tommy Haas.
The BNP Paribas Open will feature stars including Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien and Tommy Paul will lead the home charge.
*Qualifying: Monday 2 March – Tuesday 3 March at 10 a.m.
*Main Draw: Wednesday 4 March – Friday 13 March at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
*Doubles Final: Saturday 14 March not before 6 p.m.
*Singles Final: Sunday 15 March not before 2 p.m.
View On Official Website
The prize money for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open is US $9,415,725.
SINGLES
Winner: $1,151,380 / 1000 points
Finalist: $612,340 / 650 points
Semi-finalist: $340,190 / 400 points
Quarter-finalist: $193,645 / 200 points
Round of 16: $105,720 / 100 points
Round of 32: $61,865 / 50 points
Second Round: $36,110 / 30 points
First Round: $24,335 / 10 points
DOUBLES (US Dollars; per team)
Winner: $468,200 / 1000 points
Finalist: $247,870 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: $133,110 / 360 points
Quarter-finalist: $66,570 / 180 points
Second Round: $35,700 / 90 points
First Round: $19,510 / 0 points
Watch Live on TennisTV
TV Schedule
YouTube: BNP Paribas Open
Facebook: BNP Paribas Open
Twitter: @BNPPARIBASOPEN
Instagram: BNPParibasopen
Jack Draper won the 2025 Indian Wells singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Holger Rune to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 crown. Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic defeated Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles final.
Watch highlights from the 2025 final between Draper and Rune:
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (5), Novak Djokovic (5)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 35, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 19, in 1987
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1s Jimmy Connors in 1976, Jim Courier in 1993, Pete Sampras in 1994-95, Lleyton Hewitt in 2002-03, Roger Federer in 2004-06, Rafael Nadal in 2009, Novak Djokovic in 2015-16
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 143 Larry Stefanki in 1985
Last Home Champion: Taylor Fritz in 2022
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (66)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Stan Wawrinka was honoured under the desert sun on Wednesday afternoon, when he played his final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The Swiss wild card, who triumphed at the ATP 500 event in 2016, fell to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets before staying on court for a touching farewell ceremony. With 2026 marking his final season on the ATP Tour, the 40-year-old soaked in the applause from the crowd.
Tournament Director Salah Tahlak and ATP CEO Eno Polo were among those on centre court to present Wawrinka with a traditional dagger, a commemorative cake and a framed photo featuring memories from his appearances in Dubai.
“I came here for the first time more than 15 years ago and I always feel really welcome,” said Wawrinka, who owns a 6-4 record in Dubai, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. “It was amazing for me to have one last chance, one last opportunity, to play here. I will always have amazing memories from here [at] the tournament.”
Wawrinka made his first appearance in Dubai in 2006, when he fell to countryman Roger Federer, which marked just the second of 26 Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings between the two players.
Beyond Dubai, Wawrinka built a respected career, during which he rose to a career-high No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2014 and won three major titles. He has captured 16 tour-level trophies so far and, as he embarks on the closing chapter of his professional journey, he continues to embrace some of his most cherished moments: the roar of the crowd and the appreciation of fans around the world.
“It’s my last time here, but I always had amazing support from you guys,” Wawrinka said to the crowd. “It’s always special. The reason why I kept playing for so long is because of those emotions that I receive on court, but I think at 40 it’s time to play for one last year. I’m enjoying it a lot and hopefully I will see some of you throughout the year.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]March 2006. The height of Roger Federer’s dominance.
The Swiss had owned the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings for more than two years. He had captured six of the previous nine majors, including three in a row, and tour-level finals had become routine victories, with 26 wins in his previous 27 championship matches. On hard courts, he was untouchable, riding a 56-match winning streak.
Dubai felt like another coronation.
Federer had not dropped a set en route to the 2006 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final. Across the net stood a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal. He was already World No. 2 and established as one of the game’s brightest talents, but still widely regarded as more of a clay-court specialist. He was also competing in just his second tournament after three months out with a foot injury.
Even so, there were early signs this matchup could prove challenging. Nadal had won two of their first three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, suggesting the Spaniard could find solutions against the World No. 1. On 4 March 2006 in the desert heat in Dubai, that growing rivalry took another significant step.
[NO 1 CLUB]Federer made an impressive start, winning the opening set 6-2 with the control that had become typical during his dominant run. At that stage, the final appeared to be unfolding as expected.
Nadal, however, gradually worked his way into the clash. Although he won just 20 per cent of points behind Federer’s first serve and 43 per cent behind the second, he capitalised on key opportunities. At 4-4, 0/40 in the second set, Nadal chased down a Federer drop shot and whipped a searing forehand pass, a snapshot of the shotmaking that would define their rivalry.
The third set followed a similar pattern and at 4-4, Nadal broke Federer’s serve again when the World No. 1 missed a mid-court forehand at 30/40. The Spaniard closed out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory after one hour and 53 minutes.
“[It is] very special and after three months injured, it is unbelievable for me,” Nadal said during the on-court interview. “Playing just my second tournament and to win the tournament is [amazing]. I never imagined this. Playing Roger is a special thing for me and I am very happy.
“He is the number one, and for sure the best. I won this tournament and I have come back very well, so I will try to continue.”
When Nadal snapped Federer’s 19-match streak in Dubai:
Following his victory, Nadal dropped to his back in elation before he rose to lift his 13th tour-level trophy. Aged 19, he also became the youngest champion in Dubai, a record he still holds.
For Federer, the defeat was rare but not alarming, yet it carried significance.
“Rafa was just better on the day today and deserved to win,” Federer said in his on-court interview. “He has got a good record against me. At least I have something to look forward to. When I play him, I enjoy playing against him. He is a total contrast to my style and I think people enjoy it, so hopefully in the future we will play more often.”
They would.
Over the next 15 years, Federer and Nadal would meet 40 times in one of the sport’s defining rivalries (Nadal leading 24-16).
Federer would go on to make Dubai one of his most successful stops. He became a record eight-time champion at the event and, in 2019, lifted his 100th tour-level title there, joining Jimmy Connors (109) and now Novak Djokovic (101) as one of just three men to clinch 100+ titles.
Yet 20 years on, that 2006 Dubai final still stands out.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Qualifier Wu Yibing earned the third Top 20 win of his career Tuesday night with a 7-6(2), 7-6(1) upset of third seed Casper Ruud at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
The Chinese star, who previously beat Taylor Fritz in 2023 and Daniil Medvedev last September, was flawless in the two tie-breaks as he took the match to Ruud with an aggressive game plan.
“I think I stayed calm whenever he was giving me a lot of pressure,” said Wu. “Of course Casper is one of the best on Tour to play rallies, and I really had to stay patient and at the same time aggressive.”
Wu made just 62 per cent of his first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and felt the pressure from Ruud attacking his second serves. But he was broken just once, with the pair trading breaks midway through set two.
With the victory against the No. 12 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Acapulco debutant improved to 1-0 at the event and in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Ruud.
[ATP APP]In his first competitive action since his defeat in an epic Australian Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev also made a sharp start to his campaign on Tuesday night in Acapulco.
Seeking to repeat his title triumph at the ATP 500 in 2021, Zverev dominated in a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Corentin Moutet. The top-seeded German did not allow a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats, posting matching 79 per cent marks on first serves in and first-serve points won.
“Corentin can be a tricky opponent, especially if you haven’t played matches in a while, like myself,” Zverev said of the Frenchman, who was seeking his 100th tour-level win. “So definitely happy with the performance, and looking forward to what’s ahead.”
With his 15th win in Acapulco, Zverev (15-5) moved level with Rafael Nadal (15-2) for most wins at the event since it switched to hard courts in 2014. He also passed David Ferrer for the second-most ATP 500 wins since the series began in 2009, with his 117 victories (117-49) trailing only Nadal’s 121 (121-19).
Gael Monfils, returning to Acapulco for the first time in 17 years, also advanced on Tuesday night with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win against Damir Dzumhur. The result makes the wild card the second-oldest match winner in tournament history after Feliciano Lopez (41 in 2023).
At 39 years and five months, Monfils is also the oldest Frenchman to win a tour-level match in the Open Era.
LA MONF 📣@Gael_Monfils defeats Dzumhur 6-4, 7-6 to win his first match back in Acapulco since 2009 🫡@AbiertoTelcel | #AMT2026 pic.twitter.com/h0E206jnzY
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 25, 2026
Frances Tiafoe also earned a notable victory Tuesday, notching his first Top 50 win since Cincinnati last August by beating Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-4. The eighth seed improved to 15-2 in opening rounds at hard-court events since the start of 2025, and 5-0 this season.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz is serving his way to success.
Already the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Spaniard has made the best start to a season in his career. Alcaraz is a perfect 12-0 and has already lifted trophies at the Australian Open and in Doha.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis shows that improved serving has underpinned the 22-year-old’s success, helping him race out of the 2026 gate.
That is not to say Alcaraz has been struggling on serve recently. Infosys ATP Stats show that last year, he was sixth on the ATP Tour in service games won at 87.6 per cent.
This year, the World No. 1 has simply found a new level, making marginal gains across the board on serve to claim 90.8 per cent of his service games through 12 matches, leading to 12 wins despite slightly lower-than-average success on return.
“I think everyone has to make changes, small details. For me the serve is something that I really want to be better every year, in every tournament,” Alcaraz said at the Australian Open. “I am just putting constant work on the serve.”
Alcaraz’s Serving Statistics
| Serving Stats | Career | 2026 |
| First-Serve % | 65% | 68.3% |
| First-Serve Pts Won % | 72.2% | 74.3% |
| Second-Serve Pts Won % | 56% | 59.4% |
| Aces Per Match | 4.3 | 6.1 |
| Service Games Won | 84.6% | 90.8% |
Rather than a massive step forward in any one serving statistic, Alcaraz has been doing everything just a little bit better compared to 2025. The Spaniard this season is landing a higher rate of first serves (64.2 % to 68.3%), winning slightly more first-serve points (74.1% to 74.3%) and second-serve points (56.8% to 59.4%), and hitting more aces per match on average (5.8 to 6.1).
It is important to note that in 2025, Alcaraz knocked Jannik Sinner off the top of the PIF ATP Rankings and claimed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time. Last season was a tremendous one for the Spaniard, but he continues to raise the bar.
What Alcaraz does particularly well on serve is defend his second delivery. As of Monday, Alcaraz ranked third on record by winning 56 per cent of his career second-serve points, only trailing Rafael Nadal (57.1%) and Roger Federer (56.8%). This year, he has claimed 59.4 per cent of his second-serve points, well above those figures.
The World No. 1 does not blow opponents off the court with his serve — his winning rate of 74.3 per cent behind his first serve is 45th on the ATP Tour among qualifying players this season. But Alcaraz has made incremental improvements to a game with which he was already at the top of the sport.
In three of his five matches at last week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha — against Arthur Rinderknech, Karen Khachanov and Arthur Fils in the final — Alcaraz did not drop serve. Excluding his semi-final victory against Andrey Rublev, in which he lost serve four times, the Spaniard has won 92.6 per cent of his service games this season.
[NO 1 CLUB]The return is where the 22-year-old has historically stood out, finishing among the top three players on the ATP Tour in return games won in each of the past five seasons. Although he ranks second in the category so far this season, his 30.3 return games won percentage is actually below his 31 per cent career mark.
But despite that, small improvements on serve have led to a perfect start in his results, which counts the most.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Emilio Nava outserved former Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini to notch a statement upset on Tuesday at the BCI Seguros Chile Open.
The No. 79 in the PIF ATP Rankings breezed to a 6-3, 6-4 opening-round victory in Santiago. Nava, who was making his main-draw debut at the clay ATP 250, saved all three break points he faced and won 84 per cent (32/38) of first-serve points against Berrettini, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Super Emilio 🦸♂️
Nava clinches a huge win, taking down Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 in Santiago 🇨🇱@chile_open | #ChileOpen pic.twitter.com/QRnjsfTXu5
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2026
“A super tough opponent in Berrettini, with a big serve,” reflected Nava after his 87-minute victory. “Especially with the altitude, it was going to be an uphill battle, but mentally I was ready to do it and I was playing great. I was being positive and just competing.”
Nava’s win against World No. 57 Berrettini was his biggest by PIF ATP Ranking since he downed Zizou Bergs in Toronto last July. The 24-year-old American has now won 10 of his past 13 matches on Chilean soil after reaching the Santiago Challenger semi-finals last year before winning the Concepcion Challenger. Nava will play Francesco Passaro or Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the second round.
Elmer Moller also enjoyed a significant first-round triumph on Tuesday in the Chilean capital. The Dane downed Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6(4), 0-6, 6-4 for his maiden ATP Tour main-draw win. Moller has risen 10 spots to No. 117 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after his victory and will take on top seed Francisco Cerundolo for a quarter-final spot.
Vilius Gaubas and Mariano Navone were the other players to advance early on Day 2 in Santiago. Lithuania’s Gaubas sank home favourite Matias Soto 6-2, 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with Dino Prizmic. Meanwhile Navone advanced after Rio semi-finalist Vit Kopriva retired from the pair’s first-round match with Navone leading 3-6, 6-0, 3-1.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Craig Tiley is appointed chief executive of the United States Tennis Association after 13 years at Tennis Australia.
Ugo Humbert and Stefanos Tsitsipas each stepped on court Wednesday aiming to build on fond memories from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
It was 2024 titlist Humbert who added to his Dubai storybook by ending Tstisipas’ title defence with a 6-4, 7-5 first-round triumph at the hard-court ATP 500. Although Tsitsipas dropped just five points behind his first serve in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, Humbert crucially clinched the only break of each set to earn an 86-minute win.
Ugo gets the W 🫡
The Frenchman is victorious in the battle of former champions in Dubai@DDFTennis | #DDFTennispic.twitter.com/ISTE8eiysc
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2026
“I think it was a big battle on serve,” said the No. 37 in the PIF ATP Rankings Humbert. “We served very well from the beginning to the end. I was a bit lucky. In the last game at 5-4, I did a double fault, but when I had opportunities, I took them. I’m happy about this first win, because Stef is a big player.”
Humbert is now 7-1 in Dubai, where he will next take on another former titlist, Andrey Rublev, who eased past Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-4. The 27-year-old has earned four wins against Top 30 opponents in 2026, already matching his tally for the whole of last season.
Former World No. 3 Tsitsipas showed signs of a resurgence last week in Doha where he defeated Daniil Medvedev en route to the quarter-finals. Yet the 27-year-old will next Monday slip out of the Top 40 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since May 2018 as a result of his loss to Humbert.
Dubai third seed Medvedev wasted little time setting another clash between two former champions in the U.A.E. The 2023 titlist raced past Shang Juncheng 6-1, 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with 2016 winner Stan Wawrinka. Medvedev leads Wawrinka 3-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and won the pair’s most recent meeting in Rotterdam in 2025.
Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov were also early winners on Tuesday. Second seed Bublik sank Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 and will take on Tallon Griekspoor for a quarter-final spot after the Dutchman overcame qualifier Otto Virtanen 6-3, 6-4.
The seventh-seeded Khachanov rallied past Alexander Shevchenko 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 to advance to face Jenson Brooksby, a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Zizou Bergs. Arthur Rinderknech also came from behind to book a second-round spot: The Frenchman defeated Fabian Marozsan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will meet fourth seed Jack Draper next.
Jakub Mensik arrived in Dubai after notching the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking against Jannik Sinner at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. The 20-year-old bounced back quickly from his semi-final defeat to Arthur Fils in Doha by taking down Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6(7). The sixth-seeded Czech will meet Alexei Popyrin for a quarter-final spot after the Australian defeated Kamil Majchrzak 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Having come through qualifying to take his place in the main draw, former Top 10 star Pablo Carreno Busta improved his strong Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Denis Shapovalov with a commanding first-round win in Dubai. The Spaniard prevailed 6-2, 6-4 for his sixth win in eight tour-level meetings between the two, and he will take on Jiri Lehecka for a last-eight berth. The eighth-seeded Lehecka overhauled Luca Nardi for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 opening win.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]