Tournament Feature

Defending champ Humbert, top seed Medvedev among returning titlists in Dubai

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has long been a proving ground for the sport’s elite, boasting a rich history of former champions.

Among its decorated winners, Roger Federer clinched his record-extending eighth Dubai crown in 2019, which doubled as his landmark 100th tour-level trophy, while Novak Djokovic has claimed the title five times at the ATP 500 event.

Ahead of this year’s edition, which features four past champions in action, ATPTour.com looks at those who are looking to reclaim the title.

Humbert’s Dazzling Dubai Debut:
There are few sweeter feelings than winning an ATP Tour title on an event debut, but that’s exactly what Ugo Humbert accomplished in Dubai in 2024. The French lefty delivered an inspired run to the championship, overcoming an array of high-calibre opponents, including top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, World No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, and 2017 winner Andy Murray.

“The tournament was so good, I’m super happy and proud to put my name with these legends,” Humbert said of the former champions list. “It gives me confidence, I played some great players. Gael [Monfils], Murray, they’re not easy to beat. Two Top 10s… I played wonderful tennis from the first round to the final.”

Not only did he defeat some of the strongest players in the field, Humbert also ensured that he extended his perfect 6-0 record in tour-level finals — an unbeaten streak he would later surrender in Tokyo.

Now returning as the reigning champion, Humbert faces the unique challenge of carrying that title-winning pressure. However, the 26-year-old is fresh from successfully defending his crown at the ATP 250 in Marseille two weeks ago, so will aim to replicate that feat when he steps onto court in Dubai.

Medvedev's Masterful Run:
Medvedev’s impressive 2023 season, in which he won five tour-level titles, was underpinned by the run of form he produced in February. The then-27-year-old claimed three consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, contributing to a staggering 19-match win streak. Medvedev’s triumph in the U.A.E was particularly dominant as he did not drop a set en route to the crown, notching comprehensive wins over Djokovic in the semi-finals and defending champion Andrey Rublev in the title tilt.

“It’s unique, I don’t think I have ever won three tournaments in a row,” Medvedev said. “I was [once] in the finals six times in a row, I won three of them, and only two in a row. It [feels] especially amazing.”

_{^{Daniil Medvedev celebrates winning his third title of the 2023 season in Dubai. Photo: Getty Images.}} 

While Federer achieved the Doha-Dubai double in 2005, when Doha was held as a season-opening event, Medvedev remains the only player to win both events back-to-back. This year, Medvedev returns to Dubai still seeking his first title since winning the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome during that 2023 season. If the 20-time tour-level champion can reclaim the trophy this week, it will be the first time he has won the same event twice.

Rublev’s Dubai Delight:
Rublev’s triumph in 2022 was part of an imposing 13-match win streak that included back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai, followed by a run to the semi-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.

Entering Dubai as the No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Rublev rallied from a set deficit in three consecutive matches to reach the final, including a nail-biting deciding-set tie-break win over Hurkacz in the semi-finals. In the championship match, Rublev halted the impressive run of qualifier Jiri Vesely, who had scored a major upset by defeating top seed Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

“I’m happy to be the champion, it’s an amazing feeling,” Rublev said after the final. “I didn’t expect this, because I didn’t have time to adapt. To be honest, I have no idea how I did it. All week, every ball, every line, everything was for me.”

After defeat in his opening two matches of the season, including to teen qualifier Joao Fonseca in the first round at the Australian Open, Rublev will arrive in Dubai after winning his 17th tour-level crown in Doha. The 27-year-old seeks to build on this form in Dubai, where he holds an overall 17-4 record.

Roberto's Resilient Rise:
Roberto Bautista Agut has carved out a history of success in the Middle East. A two-time champion in Doha, his first taste of glory in the region actually came in Dubai, where he lifted the trophy in 2018.

The Spaniard started that season on a high note, capturing his seventh tour-level title in Auckland. However, after struggling to maintain that momentum, he arrived in Dubai on a three-match losing streak. Yet as the World No. 23, Bautista Agut turned his fortunes around in impressive fashion, stringing together five consecutive wins to claim his maiden ATP 500 title and dropping just one set along the way.

_{^{Roberto Bautista Agut celebrates after winning the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Championships. Photo: Getty Images.}} 

His triumph in Dubai was historic, marking the first time in 15 years that a player without a Grand Slam title had won the event.

“It means a lot to win this trophy,” Bautista Agut said. “I think the last winners are the best tennis players in the era. That makes me so happy, it’s very special. I have been following 500 events during all my career, it’s of course my best win.”