Four things we learned from the Dubai Tennis Championships

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev accompanied by his wife Daria Chernyshkova poses with his trophy after winning over Andrey Rublev in the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship final match in Dubai. (AFP)
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Updated 06 March 2023
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Four things we learned from the Dubai Tennis Championships

  • Medvdev is back, Djokovic eyes more records and Rublev shows his resilience on court

An exciting fortnight of tennis has come to a close in Dubai with former world number one Daniil Medvedev securing his first triumph in the Emirates with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over his fellow Russian Andrey Rublev in Saturday’s final.

Here’s what we learned from the action during ATP week of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Medvedev is back

Doubts were swirling in Daniil Medvedev’s mind after he lost in straight sets in the Australian Open third round to Sebastian Korda in January.

Just 11 months earlier, the Russian was ranked No.1 in the world; suddenly he was outside the top 10 and feeling like he cannot win a match.

“I was feeling bad. I was doubting myself before Rotterdam. I was not feeling good at all,” said Medvedev on Saturday.

“I have a story. I went to one of the Russian guys getting ready for my match with [Alejandro] Davidovich Fokina. I won’t tell you who it is. I was like, ‘Come on, man, tell me how to win a match’.

“He was like, ‘You know better than me.’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t know anything at the moment.’”

That was mid-February. Medvedev hasn’t lost a match since, claiming 14 consecutive victories within a 19-day period, which earned him three titles in a row in Rotterdam, Doha and now Dubai.

“After every tournament now he’s texting me, ‘So is it okay now?’” Medvedev continued. “I feel ashamed. But that’s how tennis is. I managed to keep some confidence going and I’m really happy about it.”

Medvedev’s stay outside the top 10 was brief — only three weeks — but it sparked something in him and he will move back up to No.6 in the rankings on Monday, thanks to the 1,250 points he collected in his last three events.

His run in Dubai was the most impressive part of his hat-trick, as he defeated world No.1 Novak Djokovic and former No.6 Andrey Rublev, both in straight sets, in the semi-finals and final.

After suffering nine consecutive losses against top-10 players, Medvedev has now won his last four, all in the last three weeks.

With huge charisma on and off the court, it’s great to see Medvedev back to his best. His court coverage, serving and returning were all exceptional in Dubai and his wit was on point in all his press conferences.

 

Djokovic hungry as ever

Djokovic laughed when asked in Dubai if there was a possibility of him beating Rafael Nadal on the Spaniard’s beloved clay at Roland Garros later this year.

“If it’s not a possibility, my friend, I wouldn’t be playing tennis,” replied the world No.1, who will be targeting a men’s all-time record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open this spring.

The 35-year-old Serb returned from a hamstring injury in the Emirates this week, and posted wins over Tomas Machac, Tallon Griekspoor and Hubert Hurkacz before falling to Medvedev in the semi-finals.

Even though his undefeated 15-0 start to this season was snapped by Medvedev, Djokovic can take lots of positives from Dubai, where he looked particularly sharp in the second round and the quarter-finals.

He is very clear on his targets for the rest of the year, where he wants to peak for the Grand Slams and move past Rafael Nadal, who currently shares the record with Djokovic, with 22 majors each.

“I still have lots of desire to break records,” Djokovic said after his second round last Wednesday.

On Monday, Djokovic will begin his 379th week as world No.1, a record. He will likely miss Indian Wells and Miami due to US regulations preventing unvaccinated people from entering the country but that might end up serving him well as it would allow him to fully focus on training on the clay in the build-up to Roland Garros, which is his next big goal on the agenda.

Rublev all heart, on and off the court

He chalked it up to luck, but anyone who watched Rublev save five match points in a row, from 1-6 down in the second-set tiebreak, against Davidovich Fokina in the second round will tell you this was all about heart.

The 25-year-old Russian then defeated two players he had never beaten before, Botic van de Zandschulp, who was 2-0 against Rublev head-to-head, and Alexander Zverev, who was 5-0 against him.

After ousting Zverev in the semis, Rublev scribbled “Tsoi is alive” on a TV camera lens — a nod to the late Soviet rock star Viktor Tsoi, who was a frontman of the band Kino.

Rublev said Tsoi’s powerful lyrics helped bring hope to people and called for change during the 1980s before he died in a car crash at the age of 28.

 

“He’s an artist from a past generation that had huge volume I think on USSR because his voice was really powerful. It was not an easy time. The lyrics that he was writing gave a lot of hope to the people at that time. I just wrote it (Tsoi is alive) because I feel that now, at this time, is happening similar things,” Rublev said.

A year on from when Rublev first wrote “no war please” on a camera lens in Dubai, he reiterated his call for peace this past week, in yet another courageous act.

“You cannot act like nothing is happening because it’s horrible. It’s crazy that so many just normal citizens are suffering, dying,” said Rublev on Friday.

“It’s not easy that it’s happening in our time when we have all the mobile phones, Internet, social media. There are kids, they just want to do TikTok. 

He said he hoped that there would be “peace in every country.”

Middle East swing appealing to more and more players

Both the men’s and women’s fields were incredibly strong in Dubai these past two weeks.

The ATP event featured four of the world’s top 10 and eight of the world’s top 20, headlined by No.1 Djokovic. The women’s tournament had eight of the world’s top 10 and 17 of the world’s top 20, headlined by No.1 Iga Swiatek.

Felix Auger-Aliassime made his Dubai debut this year, while Medvedev made his first appearance since 2019.

Up until 2020, the men’s Qatar Open was held in the first week of the season, early January, while Dubai hosted its ATP tournament at the end of February.

For a third year in a row, Doha and Dubai are staged in consecutive weeks in February on the men’s tour. This season, the women’s circuit held three events in the Middle East back-to-back in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai.

These mini swings in the region are becoming increasingly popular with the players, who find it easier to compete in tournaments that don’t require too much travel in between.

“I feel like it's a good swing,” said Auger-Aliassime about the Doha-Dubai double.

“I feel like most players in the future, if it (the schedule) stays that way, will try and play that just because we don’t have to travel a lot between Doha and Dubai. Similar conditions, which is very convenient.

“I wanted to play more outside leading to Indian Wells. I feel like these conditions here, not so humid, dry, could resemble a bit Indian Wells. I feel like it’s good preparation for what’s to come as well.

“A few reasons, but for sure the scheduling and the temperature and environment is the main cause.”


World number two Swiatek eliminated from WTA Finals group stage

Updated 07 November 2024
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World number two Swiatek eliminated from WTA Finals group stage

  • Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat American Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4
  • Swiatek had kept her hopes alive by beating Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0

RIYADH: Poland’s Iga Swiatek will not successfully defend her WTA Finals title after being knocked out of the season-ending tournament in the group stage on Thursday.
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat American Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4, meaning the 23-year-old Pole cannot now progress from the Orange Group to Friday’s semifinals.
Earlier on Thursday, Swiatek had kept her hopes alive by beating Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0.
But despite winning two of her three matches in the group, Swiatek’s defeat against world number three Gauff on Tuesday ultimately cost her.
The WTA Finals in Riyadh was Swiatek’s first tournament since she was knocked out of the US Open quarter-finals by Jessica Pegula in September.
The five-time Grand Slam winner is expected to end her season by representing her country at the Billie Jean King Cup from November 13-20 in Malaga, Spain.
Wimbledon champion Krejcikova will take on China’s Zheng Qinwen, while Gauff will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.


Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

Updated 07 November 2024
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Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

  • Tunisian tennis superstar may not be taking part in the WTA Finals, but turns heads everywhere in Riyadh

RIYADH: It only takes a few moments shadowing Ons Jabeur around Riyadh to realize what a rock star she is in this part of the world.

After becoming the first Arab in history to qualify for the WTA Finals in 2022, and replicating that feat in 2023, the Tunisian struggled with injuries this campaign and did not make the cut for the season finale in Riyadh.

Still, as an Arab icon and history maker, Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the tournament and got to witness firsthand the biggest women’s sports event to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Whether she was taking part in a meet and greet, tennis clinic or the opening ceremony, Jabeur was met with huge fanfare, which has only made her hungrier to qualify for the Finals in 2025.

“I’m very happy to be here in Riyadh, the WTA Finals is happening here. I think it’s a great thing for women’s sport, for Arab women’s sport as well. It’s the biggest event that ever happened for women in Saudi. It’s an amazing step,” Jabeur told Arab News.

Ons Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the WTA Finals. (Supplied)

“I’m not very happy that I’m not playing, but also at the same time I’m happy that I’m here to check everything out. It will be my motivation to qualify for next year.

“I had time to rest my shoulder, I’m feeling much better than before. It allowed me to also recover mentally. It’s been a tough couple of years going on tour, so to breathe in for a couple of months was really awesome and I can’t wait to come back in Australia.”

A shoulder injury forced Jabeur to pull the plug early on her season. Her last match of 2024, in early August, was an opening round defeat to Naomi Osaka in Toronto.

The former world No. 2 is already in training. “I’m ready and very motivated and honestly hungry to play matches. I feel 2025 is going to be an amazing year,” said the 30-year-old.

 

 

“I listened to my body for sure. I should have done that way before. But as a professional tennis player, as an athlete, you always try to push yourself to do more.

“For me, it was a bit tough, and thankfully it wasn’t too late to stop and take a break.

“I’ve learned with my experience and definitely still learning. The most important thing that I have learned is how to listen to my body and to know when to stop, when to take a break.

“And it’s okay to take a month or two off because it will help you have a deep breath and push for the next tournaments.”

During her time in Riyadh, the three-time Grand Slam finalist interacted with many young aspiring tennis players, who were keen to pick her brain on what it takes to become a professional athlete.

“I had a meet and greet with young girls, they were very nice to me, they asked me a lot of questions. They were amazing questions to answer,” said Jabeur with a smile.

 

 

“We talked a little bit, I got to know them more. They seem very motivated and hungry to become professional tennis players. I hope to see a bright future for them.

“They were different questions about my routines, about how I prepare for the match, how I decided to become a tennis player, what kind of advice I’d give them.

“And they were really on point questions, I’ve got to say. It was fun interacting with them, seeing that they’re truly interested in becoming professional.”

Jabeur also kept her eye on the court and enjoyed following the battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka leapfrogged Swiatek and reclaimed the year-end top spot ahead of these WTA Finals, for the first time in her career.

“It’s been amazing watching both fighting for this No. 1 spot. I think at the moment Aryna deserves it the best. She’s such a great friend and a great competitor. It’s nice. I hope they’ll keep fighting and get tired so I can take the first spot,” laughed Jabeur.

 

 

Jabeur was speaking to Arab News at the Kayanee flagship store in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, where her new collection is being launched.

The Saudi Arabia fitness and sports lifestyle brand signed a partnership deal with Jabeur at the start of 2024 and believes she perfectly aligns with Kayanee’s philosophy of fostering health, well-being, and personal growth.

“It’s an honor to be the ambassador of Kayanee. I feel like the perfect language for a woman is through fashion. And I wanted to share my ideas, how I am on the court, how I’m feeling comfortable with my outfit and share that with the rest of the world,” said Jabeur of her new collection.


Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

Updated 07 November 2024
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

  • ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century
  • Big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to add another entry into their rapidly developing rivalry when the ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly split the year’s Grand Slam titles between them with two apiece and it would be fitting if the pair meet again in Turin.
And since Alcaraz was overtaken by Alexander Zverev in the rankings this week, the Spaniard could be placed in the same round-robin group as Sinner.
The draw for the eight-man event is scheduled for later Thursday.
After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.
The other qualifiers are: Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.
The big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury.
23 years since Djokovic, Federer and Nadal missed the finals
Not since 2001 has the finals been held without at least one of Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. This season also was the first since 2002 without at least one Grand Slam title for a member of that trio.
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals a record seven times. He beat Sinner for the title last year.
Federer, who announced his retirement in 2022, won the event six times after making his debut in 2002; Nadal, who is retiring after playing in the Davis Cup the week after finals, was the runner-up twice at the finals but never won it.
Sinner withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters due to a virus and showed up early in Turin for training.
“This is for me the main event of the end of the year,” Sinner said.
A final decision in Sinner’s doping case is still pending
As an Italian, Sinner will be the main focus of attention in Turin.
It’s the first time that Sinner will be playing at home since it was announced before his US Open title that he had tested positive in two separate drug tests earlier in the year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Alcaraz has won all 3 of his official meetings with Sinner this year
Sinner opened this year by winning the Australian Open to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly a half-century — since Adriano Panatta raised the French Open trophy in 1976.
Alcaraz then claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles to raise his career total to four Grand Slams.
Sinner responded by winning the US Open.
Alcaraz won all three official meetings with Sinner this year and holds a 6-4 advantage in their career head-to-head rivalry. Last month, Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
Zverev won in Paris last week and looks for a 3rd title at finals
The only two players in the field to have won the finals are Zverev and Medvedev.
Zverev won in London in 2018 and in Turin in 2021; while Medvedev triumphed in 2020 – the final year the event was held in London.
Zverev enters in solid form coming off a title at the Paris Masters.
Fritz is looking to add another big result after his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open; Ruud was a finalist in 2022; De Minaur is making his tournament debut; and Rublev is making his fifth straight appearance.
Biggest prize money on the men’s tour: $4.8 million
If a player wins all five of his matches en route to the trophy, he will earn $4.8 million – the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
That’s significantly more than what Sinner and Alcaraz earned for their victories at the US Open ($3.6 million) and Wimbledon (2.7 million pounds or $3.45 million) this year.


Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini

Updated 06 November 2024
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Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini

  • The Olympic gold medalist, seeded 7th, sweeps aside 4th seed Paolini 6-1, 6-1 in just 67 minutes, her 30th win in 35 matches
  • Already eliminated Rybakina claims consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 1 Sabalenka, who secured semi-final spot on Monday

RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen continues to deliver in her breakthrough season, as she advanced to last four of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Wednesday with a victory over Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini.

The Chinese Olympic gold medalist swept past fourth seed Paolini 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 67 minutes. It was her 30th victory in 35 matches.

Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina claimed a consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who had already secured her semi-final spot as group winner on Monday.

Rybakina, who was already out of the competition after losing her first two matches, finally found form against Sabalenka. It was a much-needed confidence boost for the world No. 5, who missed most of the second half of the season with allergies, insomnia and a back injury.

“It was a tough match and I’m really happy that I managed to win,” said Rybakina, who shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka at the net. “I think it’s nice to finish the year at least with one win against the world No. 1.”

The loss was only Sabalenka’s second in 24 matches. She was yet to learn who she will face in Friday’s semi-final but whatever happens, she has reason to celebrate as she clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking when Iga Swiatek was defeated by Coco Gauff on Tuesday.

However, the Belarusian does not intend to let that achievement distract her from the task at hand, which is to lift the WTA Finals trophy for the first time in her career.

“It’s a really great feeling but I figured that last night and it didn’t work really well tonight for me, so I just want to focus on the current tournament, to stay hungry and stay motivated, because it’s a big tournament and it’s also one of my goals, so I’ll focus on this goal,” Sabalenka said on Wednesday.

In the last day of round-robin action in the Purple Group, Zheng and Paolini were fighting it out for the second qualification spot behind Sabalenka.

Zheng, seeded seventh, locked down her place in the last four with a dominating performance as she became the first Chinese player to make it out of the group stage at the event since Li Na in 2013.

“That was 11 years ago; I’m really proud I could make it,” said the 22-year-old. “I didn’t know what to expect coming to these WTA Finals for the first time. I was in a very difficult group.

“It’s one of the best performances I’ve had during this year. Really good percentage of first serves. I felt really good on my groundstrokes and I made a couple of good volleys. I really enjoyed it.”

An aggressive return earned Zheng her first break of the match in game three and then she broke again and held her serves to go 5-1 up. Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist this season, saved one set point on her own serve in game seven but Zheng kept her foot on the gas to close out the 32-minute set on the second opportunity.

Zheng was just as impressive in the second set, and after saving a break point while serving for the match at 5-1 she closed out the win with her 12th ace of the match.

“I finally feel that my serve has started to be a bit more consistent,” said Zheng, who leads the tour in aces and first-serve points won this season.

This was her fourth victory in as many meetings with Paolini, who will remain in Riyadh to battle for a semi-final spot in the doubles competition alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani.

Since Wimbledon in July, Zheng has recorded the most wins of any woman on the tour. Besides taking gold in the singles at the Olympics, she defended her Palermo title, reached the quarter-finals of the US Open, the semi-finals in Beijing, the final in Wuhan, and lifted the trophy in Tokyo. Three of her five defeats during that run were at the hands of Sabalenka and she said she has been impressed by the Belarusian’s form this season. Zheng’s record against Sabalenka is 0-5, and she said this is a big source of motivation for her.

“She won two slams,” Zheng said. “This is really big achievement for her. And I remember last year, she won her first Grand Slam in the Australian Open. And then she kept going, kept working.

“But you know, both slams that she won this year, I lost against her on the way. Which means if I want to win a slam, I have to be able to beat her. And I’m quite excited for that day.”


Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

Updated 06 November 2024
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Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

  • Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals
  • US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina

RIYADH: American sixth seed Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a left knee injury, the tournament announced on Wednesday.

A runner-up at the WTA Finals last year, Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals.

The US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the last day of round-robin action on Thursday and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina on the schedule.

“I’ve just been struggling with a little bit of an injury and for whatever reason, it really flared up this week. Not really sure why,” Pegula, 30, said.

“In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match, and just feel like I’m not feeling comfortable moving on court, so I just wanted to make the decision to unfortunately pull out.”

Kasatkina is ranked No. 9 in the world and recently clinched the WTA 500 title in Ningbo.

She is 1-5 head-to-head against Swiatek, losing her last five consecutive clashes with the Pole. 

Coco Gauff is the only player in the Orange Group in Riyadh to have secured passage to the semifinals.