Draw ATP Dubai Open featuring Daniil Medvedev, Alex De Minaur and Jack Draper

Sunday, 23 February 2025 at 13:40

The draw for the ATP 500 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has been revealed, kicking off another exciting week of tennis in the United Arab Emirates, following the conclusion of the WTA 1000 event. The tournament will be played at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre on outdoor hard courts.

Defending champion Ugo Humbert, currently World No. 15, will be the 5th seed in a draw featuring eight top-20 players, led by Daniil Medvedev (No. 6), Alex de Minaur (No. 8), Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 11), and Jack Draper (No. 12).

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Medvedev faces tough opener

With a 32-player draw, the top seeds will take to the court from the first round, including an exciting clash between Daniil Medvedev, who has been struggling with inconsistency, and the ever-dangerous Jan-Lennard Struff, a player capable of beating anyone when in form. The winner could face the best server on tour, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who must first overcome China’s Zhizhen Zhang.

Medvedev retired from last week's Dubai Open against Auger-Aliassime due to food poisoning

In the same quarter, defending champion Ugo Humbert has been handed a tough draw, facing Jiri Lehecka, a recent Doha Open semifinalist with a 12-3 record this season, including victories over Grigor Dimitrov (twice), Holger Rune, and Carlos Alcaraz.

Dimitrov – the 6th seed – will start against a qualifier, and if he advances, he will face the winner of what is arguably the most exciting first-round match: Gael Monfils vs. Matteo Berrettini. In the same section, Stefanos Tsitsipas (4th seed) takes on Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

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Recent Dubai finalists Andrey Rublev and Jack Draper have landed in the same quarter, setting up a potential quarterfinal rematch. Both will open their campaigns against qualifiers, but their physical conditions remain a question, especially Draper, who is often injury-prone as both will face a packed schedule with Indian Wells and Miami Open on the horizon.

The bottom half of the draw is led by Alex de Minaur (2nd seed), who faces former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round. The biggest threats for the Australian include Arthur Fils (8th seed), Felix Auger-Aliassime, and fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin – the reigning Canadian Open champion.