Tennis News

Humbert wins battle of former champs against Tsitsipas in Dubai

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.

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Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve: Vote now for January's winner

A new season, the same pinpoint precision for the ATP Perfect Serve, brought to you by Stella Artois.

January signalled the return of tennis, and the game’s biggest servers wasted no time making their mark. At the United Cup, Hubert Hurkacz powered Poland to the title with a series of masterclass serving performances. The 28-year-old won four of his five matches at the mixed-teams event, unleashing 21 aces in victories against Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor, then adding another 18 in a decisive final win against Stan Wawrinka.

Over in Auckland, Jakub Mensik captured the ATP 250 crown and delivered when it mattered most in the championship match against Sebastian Baez. At 1-1 in the first set, the 20-year-old Czech reeled off four consecutive aces, finishing the match with an impressive total of 18.

Auckland also provided late-match drama from Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who saved a match point against Cameron Norrie with a fearless second serve. The Frenchman fired 25 aces on his way to the quarter-finals.

Watch the video above and cast your vote. You can also visit the Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve hub to choose your favourite moment.

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Mensik reflects on 'hype' from Sinner win as he pushes toward Top 10 debut

Jakub Mensik continues to make thunderous statements at the top of the ATP Tour, and his stunning win over Jannik Sinner in Doha was the loudest yet as the 20-year-old charges toward a Top 10 debut.

After producing the biggest win of his career over World No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the Doha quarter-finals last week, Mensik is already back in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, looking to build further momentum in another ATP 500 test. The scale of his Doha triumph against Sinner, and what it means for his trajectory, is still sinking in.

“The big hype — not just for me but for all the people — was that match against Jannik,” Mensik told ATP Media in Dubai, reflecting on his 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 over Sinner. “It was one of the greatest matches in my young career. I really found myself well on the court.

“Beating Jannik and basically being at the same level as him showed me a lot and showed me that I’m going the right way.”

With his run to the semi-finals in Doha, where he was eventually halted by Arthur Fils, Mensik rose to a career-high No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The result underlined what has already been an eye-catching start to the season , during which he won his second ATP Tour title in Auckland in January.

Doha, in particular, holds special meaning. In 2024, it marked his first ATP Tour main-draw appearance, and he surged all the way to the final before returning two years later to score the biggest win of his career in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Sinner.

“Last week was quite a week for me,” Mensik said. “Reaching the semis, a lot of great matches… Obviously a tough loss but overall a good week for me. I came back to Doha [for the first time] since 2024, when it was my first [ATP] tournament. I had really nice memories and I had a great time.

“Overall I am happy with the performance that I showed and that my game is going higher and higher.”

Watch Mensik shock Sinner in Doha QFs:

At the Australian Open in January, Mensik was forced to withdraw ahead of a popcorn fourth-round meeting with Novak Djokovic due to injury. The Czech, who famously defeated Djokovic in the Miami final last year, stepped away for two weeks before returning to Doha refreshed and refocused — a move he believes is already paying dividends.

“After the Australian Open, I realised that I have to do everything as best as possible for my health,” said Mensik. “I took some days off and I started to miss tennis a little bit, but this break helped me a lot to renew my energy and to prepare well. These breaks between the tournaments, for me, it’s the best thing to happen because I can then show my best tennis.”

A competitor at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2024, Mensik has long been regarded as one of the brightest prospects on Tour. In Dubai, he is seeded for a potential quarter-final clash with Alexander Bublik and hopes to build momentum in his push for a maiden Top 10 berth.

With his title defence looming at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami — where he will be defending valuable ranking points — a strong run this week would further strengthen his position as he targets another leap forward.

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Federer returns to desert kingdom in Dubai, where It All Added Up

Roger Federer and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have long been intertwined and on Monday, the record eight-time champion was back where so much of his history was written.

No player has shaped the hard-court event quite like the Swiss maestro, whose blend of elegance and sustained excellence helped turn Dubai into one of the defining stops of his career. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings first lifted the trophy in 2003, a breakthrough season that preceded his ascent to the top of the sport.

The aura 😮‍💨@rogerfederer @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/eTqlHMSvrp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 23, 2026

Federer would go on to add seven more titles in Dubai and, across his appearances, he amassed a 53-6 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The event became a regular early-season barometer for his form and a place where title runs often foreshadowed bigger achievements later in the year.

While returning to the ATP 500 tournament on Monday, Federer watched from the stands to see his countryman Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 champion, battle past Benjamin Hassan. After the match, Hassan enjoyed his own brush with greatness when he met the Swiss legend.

“I’m never washing my hand again,” Hassan joked, grinning after shaking hands with the 20-time major champion.

It was in Dubai in 2019 that Federer authored one of the most meaningful milestones of his career. By defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title, he captured his 100th tour-level crown, becoming just the second man in the Open Era to reach the century mark. Only Jimmy Connors (109) had previously achieved the feat, and since then Novak Djokovic has joined the exclusive club with 101 titles.

That victory further cemented Federer’s place in ATP No. 1 Club lore. He spent a record 310 weeks at World No. 1, including 237 consecutive weeks — a reign that overlapped with three of his triumphs in Dubai. In many ways, the tournament mirrored his career arc: early breakthrough, sustained dominance and late-career milestone.

Dubai also became more than a tournament stop for Federer. Over the years, he frequently based himself in the city during the offseason, taking advantage of its training facilities and warm-weather conditions as he prepared for new campaigns. The familiarity bred comfort, and the comfort bred success. Federer’s victories in Dubai also spanned generations: From his first title at 21 to his 100th crown at age 37.

Now, the 40-year-old Wawrinka, who shared a chat with Federer post-match, is one of five former champions in the 2026 field, joining Tsitsipas, Ugo Humbert, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

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Jodar closes in on Top 100 following Norrie Acapulco win: 'I am enjoying the process'

Rafael Jodar continued his rapid ascent on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where he brushed past former Acapulco finalist Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round.

Twelve months ago, Jodar was outside the Top 900. Now he is on the verge of the Top 100, with his win against Norrie propelling him to No. 101 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

In the past six months, the 2024 US Open boys’ singles champion has clinched three ATP Challenger titles, competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals and now has three tour-level wins this year.

“I have been travelling a lot, playing a lot of tournaments,” Jodar told ATPTour.com following his victory against Norrie. “I haven’t had two or three weeks at home to relax and [process] what I am doing. But I am just trying to enjoy the process and every step I am taking in this beautiful process. I am trying to play all the tournaments I can and enjoy all the places I am able to play and it means a lot to me.”

Jodar committed just six unforced errors and did not face a break point against the World No. 26 Norrie, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Aged just 19, Jodar is only the fourth man born in 2006 or later to win a match at ATP 500 level, joining Joao Fonseca, Justin Engel and Diego Dedura.

“It is a great tournament, great facilities and organisation overall,” Jodar said when asked about competing in Acapulco. “It is one of my first ATP 500 events and getting my first win here in Mexico means a lot to me. It means a lot for me for the work I have been putting in and I am super happy.

“I just tried to be focused on every moment in the match. Cameron is a great fighter and a great player, so I knew some moments would be tough, so I tried to be tougher than him in those moments. I am happy to get the win here.”

Jodar turned professional following the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah in December, when he recorded wins against Learner Tien and Martin Landaluce. The 19-year-old represented the University of Virginia in 2024 and 2025 and is the latest talent to have thrived from the US college system.

World No. 9 Ben Shelton represented the University of Florida in 2021 and 2022, while Next Gen ATP Finals champion Tien competed for the University of Southern California. The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Brandon Nakashima played for the University of Virginia and 21-year-old Ethan Quinn won the 2023 NCAA singles championship national title when representing the University of Georgia.

Aiming to become the latest college star to crack the Top 100, Jodar will next play Grigor Dimitrov or Terence Atmane in Acapulco.

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Kypson shocks two-time champion De Minaur in Acapulco opener

Patrick Kypson earned the biggest win of his career on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where he shocked second seed Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) to reach the second round in Acapulco. With the victory, the American notched his first tour-level win since Indian Wells in 2024.

De Minaur was competing in his first tournament since claiming the Rotterdam crown two weeks ago. The last two times he competed in Acapulco, he left as champion, having captured back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. In stark contrast, Kypson had only earned three tour-level wins, all in 2024.

“It feels amazing,” Kypson said. “Everything was important. I had to serve well. I had to return well. I hit my forehand really big. Luckily, I was able to do those things for a pretty extended period of time.”

Kypson was two points from defeat when De Minaur served for the match at 5-4 in the decider. But the American qualifier held firm to force the tie-break and sealed a hard-fought win in two hours and 39 minutes. He won 71 per cent (48/68) of his first-serve points and converted three of the five break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“[Staying calm and composed] does not come naturally to me,” Kypson said. “That’s probably one of the hardest parts of playing the sport, just keeping it together.”

The 26-year-old is up seven spots to No. 93 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The former Texas A&M University star was a part of a six-way tie for the most titles won at the ATP Challenger level in 2025, with four. In the second round, he will face Brandon Nakashima, who eased to a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Elias Ymer.

In other first-round action, 2025 finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina launched his Acapulco campaign with a straight-sets victory. The Spaniard moved past Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes.

Davidovich Fokina will face Rinky Hijikata or Mattia Bellucci in the second round.

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Hanfmann, Pellegrino win Santiago openers

Yannick Hanfmann lost just three games in a dominant first-round performance on Monday at the BCI Seguros Chile Open, where he cruised past Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-0, 6-3.

Hanfmann, who leads Lajovic 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, is a two-time quarter-finalist at the ATP 250 event in Santiago. The 34-year-old German hit 22 winners against Lajovic and will next play fourth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino earned his third tour-level win and first this season with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 win against Argentine qualifier Alex Barrena. Pellegrino won the doubles title in Santiago in 2023 with Andrea Vavassori.

“It feels great to win,” Pellegrino said. “When you come from the qualies after winning some matches, it is always great. In the first set, I started very well with good intensity and he was missing a little too much. And second set it was 2-2 and I went a little bit lower with my level and he played much better. The third set is always a fight.”

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Draper makes winning return to tour after injury

British number one Jack Draper marks his post-injury return to action on the ATP Tour with a straight-set win over Frenchman Quentin Halys at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

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Auger-Aliassime converts 6th MP in Dubai opener, Wawrinka wins

Felix Auger-Aliassime is back at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships determined to go one step further than last year, and the top seed made a confident start to his 2026 campaign on Monday, despite needing six match points to cross the line.

The No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings moved past Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 7-(4) to launch his title bid at the ATP 500 event. Twelve months ago, Auger-Aliassime advanced to the Dubai final before falling to an inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the Canadian is once again among the favourites.

“I stopped counting at some point, it was getting too frustrating,” Auger-Aliassime said of the missed match points. “Having match points is the position you want to be in as a player, but it’s weird how the mind plays a trick on you. How much further I am from losing than he is, he should be the one that’s tight. But I told myself ‘If there is a third set, I’ll be there’.”

Since retiring from his first-round clash with Nuno Borges at the Australian Open in January, Auger-Aliassime has rediscovered some of his best form. He has won nine of his past 10 matches, lifting the trophy in Montpellier before finishing runner-up in Rotterdam.

With his speed and crafty court coverage, Auger-Aliassime saved all four break points he faced against Zhang, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 25-year-old then missed two match points on return at 5-4 and three at 6-5 in the second set, but produced a clinical response in the tie-break.

Competing as the top seed at an event above ATP 250 level for the first time, Auger-Aliassime will next face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who earlier snapped his five-match tour-level losing streak. The big-serving French qualifier defeated Tunisian wild card Moez Echargui 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(4) to earn his first win since reaching the quarter-finals in Auckland in January.

In other action on Monday, 2016 Dubai winner Stan Wawrinka earned his sixth consecutive opening-round win by defeating Benjamin Hassan 7-5, 6-3. Roger Federer, the tournament’s record eight-time champion, was in attendance to watch his countryman.

With the victory, Wawrinka also improved to 10 tour-level wins since turning 40 — the most by any player in that age group in the Open Era. The Swiss will next face third seed and 2023 champion Daniil Medvedev or Shang Juncheng.

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Dimitrov on Nalbandian addition: 'It happened so naturally'

Fresh coaching firepower surrounds Grigor Dimitrov while he prepares for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

Former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and 11-time tour-level champion David Nalbandian has recently joined the Bulgarian’s camp, adding further experience to a team that already welcomed former Top 20 player Xavier Malisse at the start of the season. For Dimitrov, the early signs have been encouraging as he works to rediscover his top level.

“I knew them separately, and it also helps when you’ve played against them a few times,” Dimitrov said in an ATP Media interview ahead of his run in Acapulco. “It’s nice when you can relate to someone that you have played. They have been retired for over 10 years, but it’s also not that long ago.

“At the beginning, when I got into conversations with them, we really started to see things similarly and I could relate to them in terms of the timing of their careers, injuries, game plan, thoughts, and all of that. In a way, it happened so naturally. Right now, we are still finding our footing, because it’s very new for all of us, but things are very clear of what needs to be done and how we want to tackle the game.”

Dimitrov owns a 2-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Malisse and lost his lone meeting with Nalbandian at Queen’s Club in 2012. More than a decade on, former rivals are now united in pursuit of a shared goal.

The reset follows a frustrating 2025 campaign, during which Dimitrov was forced to retire due to a sudden pectoral injury while leading Jannik Sinner by two sets at Wimbledon. It was a setback that limited him to just one further appearance before turning his focus to the new season.

With one win from his first three matches this year, the 34-year-old hopes a return to Acapulco — where he lifted the trophy on his debut in 2014 — can reignite his momentum.

“I came earlier. I just wanted to make sure I step on the court a few extra hours,” said Dimitrov, who opens against Terence Atmane on Wednesday at the ATP 500. “The past months have been a little bumpy. I haven’t been able to practise as much as I would like nor was I able to get more matches.”

That 2014 run, in which he beat Andy Murray in an epic three-set semi-final, remains a cherished memory, yet Dimitrov is focused firmly on the present.

“I’m always going to hold on to great memories,” said Dimitrov when asked about that run. “Every time we step into the same tournament, it’s the same tournament, but it’s a new year. I’m always trying to build off that new habit, whatever the new preparation looks like.

“I’m always trying to understand myself. Hopefully I’m able to really implement them and make sure that I am feeling good about it when I step on the court.”

The pectoral injury, which kept him out for three months between Wimbledon and Paris also offered a period of reflection. As he targets a return to the form that he used to win the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals crown, Dimitrov recognises the internal adjustments required.

“I had to change things up, whether I liked it or not,” Dimitrov said of his injury. “It was more of the work that I had to do for myself, more from a mental point of view. I had to change a lot of things and that played a little mind game with me. It’s normal, though, and I’m trying to find the silver lining. I’d never really been injured or experienced being away from the sport for that long, so it was extremely new.”

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