Dubai Duty Free - ATP 500

[britbox]

DATE: 23 - 28 February, 2026
SURFACE: Hard
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT: $3,311,005
SINGLES DRAW SIZE: 32
Official Website: https://dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Stefanos Tsitsipas

Draw and Seeds

1 Auger-Aliassime, Felix
2 Bublik, Alexander
3 Medvedev, Daniil
4 Draper, Jack
5 Rublev, Andrey
6 Mensik, Jakub
7 Khachanov, Karen
8 Lehecka, Jiri

The Tournament

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has a long history of welcoming some of the top players in the game. Roger Federer owns a tournament record eight titles, followed by five-time titlist Novak Djokovic. Former World No. 1s Thomas Muster, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev have also triumphed at the ATP 500.The 2026 edition runs from 23 February-1 March. Source; ATP Website.

Hosted at the impressive Aviation Club Tennis Centre, the event is played on outdoor hard courts that typically reward aggressive baseline play, first-strike tennis, and confident serving. The conditions — warm evenings, lively crowds, and quick courts — often produce high-quality matchups between the Tour’s biggest names.

Dubai

Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline.

At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. On man-made islands just offshore is Atlantis, the Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks.

Dubai Write-up by @tented

Tourism

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Wild cards,
Stan Wawrinka
Benjamen Hassab
Moez Echargui

This is the first tournament for Jack Draper, since the USO in August 2025, who is coming back from a serious bone bruise to his left arm,

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I have done the projected quarter finals by seeds if they hold.
FAA (1) vs Lehecka (8)
Medvedev (3) vs KAA (7)
Rublev (5) vs Draper (4)
Bublik (2) vs Mensik (6)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WC Stan Wawrinka gets a win in front of Roger Federer, defeating WC Hassan 75 63 ( BTW with that win Stan rises to 99 in the live rankings)
BTW Roger Federer walked up to Benjamin Hassan after the match and congratulated him on playing a good match against Stan Wawrinka
" I'm never washing my hand again" said Hassan

 

[Murat B.]

Good to see Draper back. He's got game. Won Indian Wells, semis at the Open...His injury was tricky so I hope he is fully recovered and all he needs is matchplay. He is one of those guys that can , in my opinion, challenge the top dogs.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Just tuning into Draper's first match back he is playing Halys a big serving French player also with a good fhand and hits strong on his bhand wing
The conditions are fast in Dubai,big servers will be delighted

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Good to see Draper back. He's got game. Won Indian Wells, semis at the Open...His injury was tricky so I hope he is fully recovered and all he needs is matchplay. He is one of those guys that can , in my opinion, challenge the top dogs.

Hi Murat
I am just tuning into his match now, sad to say injuries has been the down fall in Jacks career to date, agree he has the game to challenge, hopefully he can remain healthy going forward in his career

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Draper saved SP with a Ace
5 games all
Halys is sweating 'buckets' reminds me of Rafa
Big hold from Halys saving 3 BPs
Draper will serve 5-6 to force a TB for the 1st set
Love service game from Draper 6 all, TB for the 1st set
Both players had mini breaks, neck and neck all the way
Draper with a fhand winner and SP No 3 wins the 1st set 76(8)
Draper got an early break in the 2nd set, Halys intensity dropped somewhat
Draper d Halys 76 (8) 63, considering the level and intensity Draper produced a good win, since he has been out of tennis for 6 months due to injury

 

[britbox]

Dubai Day One Highlights

 

[kskate2]

WC Stan Wawrinka gets a win in front of Roger Federer, defeating WC Hassan 75 63 ( BTW with that win Stan rises to 99 in the live rankings)
BTW Roger Federer walked up to Benjamin Hassan after the match and congratulated him on playing a good match against Stan Wawrinka
" I'm never washing my hand again" said Hassan

po boy, heat is killing the blood flow to the brain. forget the hand dude, get a selfie that doesn't have a shelf life

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Arthur Fils has withdrawn with a hip injury, he has been replaced by LL Luca Nardi who will play against Lehecka
I hope Fils will be okay to compete at IW next week.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW,
Tsitsipas will drop out of the worlds Top 40 for the first time in nearly 8 years since May 2018., the defending champion was defeated by Humbert 64 75 in his first round match

 

[britbox]

Dubai Day 2 Video Higlights

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Stan Wawrinka was given a special ceremony and received gifts, seeing it is his fare well tour, thanks to my tennis channel it was cut short
Medvedev d Wawrinka 62 63

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rinderknech with 2 SP in the 1st set, he played the big points well and Draper fhand long
Rinderknech 1st set 75
Tight in the 2nd set, Draper will serve to force a TB 5-6 for the 2nd set, so far in this match Rinderkech serve hasnt been broken.
Love service game from Draper, 6 games all. TB for 2nd set.
Great fhand pass from Draper, great anticipation 4-2
Draper 5-4 on his serve
Draper 76(4) 2nd set
Going 3
Rinderknech broke Draper early in the 3rd set, with good returning
Rinderknech serving for the match 5-4
Rinderknech d Draper 75 674) 64, a wonderful serving display, did not get his serve broke once in the match, also strong from the back of the court. A good high level match
Draper can take positives from this match.just returning to the tour.

 

[britbox]

Dubai Day 3 Highlights

 

[britbox]

Stan Wawrinka was given a special ceremony and received gifts, seeing it is his fare well tour, thanks to my tennis channel it was cut short
Medvedev d Wawrinka 62 63

Here are the highlights from the Dubai Channel:

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rublev with a real chance of cementing himself back into the Top 15, defeats Rinderknech 62 64 to make the SF
Arthur couldnt find the serve as much as he did yesterday against Draper. Rublev also serving brilliantly with a huge plus on fhand
Rublev will meet either Mensik or Griekspoor in the SF

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Griekspoor d Mensik, 63 36 62 to make the SFs in Dubai for the 2nd consecutive year
A few key passing shots in that final set including one on the MP fitting end there.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

SFs, Friday 27th February
5pm local time,
FAA (1) vs Medvedev

7pm local time,
Rublev (5) vs Griekspoor