Tennis followers throughout Dubai are poised for a feast of world-class high quality, drama and intrigue in coming days after the Official Draw for subsequent week’s ATP500 event on the Dubai Responsibility Free Tennis Championships confirmed a slew of eye-catching first spherical matches.
With 5 former champions and three crushed finalists among the many 32-man discipline, Canadian prime seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who fell to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in final 12 months’s ultimate, will begin his 2026 marketing campaign towards China’s Zhizhen Zhang.
On the different finish of the draw, second seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan must wait barely longer to find his opponent after drawing a qualifier. Britain’s Jack Draper, the fourth seed, and Karen Khachanov, the seventh seed, may also play qualifiers in spherical one.
Prompting a refrain of gasps and different audible interjections from an viewers comprising event officers, companions and world media, the reveal that unseeded former champions Ugo Humbert and Stefanos Tsitsipas – Dubai winners in 2024 and 2025, respectively – will go head-to-head on Monday additionally excited the ATP gamers in attendance, Benjamin Hassan and Arther Rinderknech, who shared raised eyebrows and nods of anticipation.
German-born however representing Lebanon, Hassan, the World No287, will face Stan Wawrinka – the champion in Dubai a decade in the past – because the legendary Swiss embarks on his ultimate ATP season.
“It’s a tricky one – he’s a Grand Slam champion so I’ve nothing to lose,” mentioned Hassan, who entered the game’s historical past on the 2024 Paris Olympics as the primary singles tennis participant representing Lebanon. Hassan additionally made his Grand Slam foremost draw debut ultimately 12 months’s French Open, changing into the primary Lebanese participant to qualify for Roland Garros within the Open Period.
“I’m going to play freely,” added the 31-year-old. “He’s the older technology in his final season, however I do know he can nonetheless play, and transfer, very properly. On prime of that, he has the expertise and is aware of what he’s doing, so I’ll must struggle and discover methods to maintain up with him. The largest factor might be the motivational half, that I’ve enjoyable taking part in him, that I need to win, give it my all, and struggle till I die.”
Different mouthwatering Spherical of 32 matches embrace third seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 winner, dealing with China’s Juncheng Shang; fifth seed and 2022 champion Andrey Rublev towards France’s Valentin Royer; sixth seed and World No16 Jakub Mensik versus Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz; eighth seed Jiri Lehecka dealing with France’s Arthur Fils; and Rinderknech – recent from reaching his first ATP Masters ultimate final season – towards Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
The Official Draw occasion was led by ATP Supervisor Ahmed Abdel-Azim, who was joined by Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director, Dubai Responsibility Free and Chair of the Match Organising Committee; Salah Tahlak, Deputy Managing Director, Dubai Responsibility Free, and Match Director of the Dubai Responsibility Free Tennis Championships; His Excellency Saeed Almarri, Secretary Basic of the UAE Tennis & Padel Federation; Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President – Advertising Dubai Responsibility Free; and the event’s well-known silver dhow trophy.
“After an amazingly profitable WTA1000 week the place we noticed a 44 per cent year-on-year enhance on the Field Workplace, and 48% year-on-year leap in total ticket gross sales, we look ahead to carrying that momentum into ATP week,” mentioned Cidambi. “This the longest sporting occasion in Dubai and we’re thrilled that the response to our enhanced services – together with the New Court docket 1 and expanded Fan Village – have been so universally constructive. Better of luck to all of the gamers this week.”
Tahlak introduced the three wildcards in the course of the draw, with Hassan and Wawrinka joined by Tunisia’s Moez Echargui, the World No139. With Hassan and Echargui within the discipline, Tahlak famous his hopes that the pair function “inspiration to youngsters throughout the Arab world.”
The 34th version of the annual ATP occasion, which takes place from February 23 to twenty-eight, options eight of the world’s prime ranked male gamers, together with 5 former winners. The Dubai Responsibility Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Responsibility Free and held underneath the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 Championships, with costs ranging from Dh65. For full particulars, go to dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com or ticketmaster.ae
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