Tsitsipas defeats Auger-Aliassime in Dubai final to win his first ATP 500, re-enters top 10
The Greek broke a 0-11 record in ATP 500 finals to lift the trophy in Dubai
© Imago / psnewz
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3,6-3 to win the ATP 500 Dubai title. The trophy is the Greek’s first victory in a final of that category, having lost all eleven of his prior opportunities.
Tsitsipas had also previously lost two Dubai finals – in 2019 and 2020 – but was decisively the stronger player in the showpiece match, launching him back into the top 10 for the first time since May 2024.
The Match
The match followed serve for the first half of the opening set, with the Canadian looking good to take the score to 4-3 – having lead 40-0 on his own serve. However, it was the Greek who turned the tables by using his inside-out forehand to open up the court. That weapon was on full display on his first break point, with Auger-Aliassime unable to bring his own forehand back into play to hand the Greek the break.
Tsitsipas would have to save two break points of his own at 4-3, one with an unreturned serve and the other with a forehand which punished a short backhand return.
Whilst aiming to stay in the first set, Auger-Aliassime didn’t do too much wrong, failing to counter multiple line-licking returns from his opponent – eventually hitting a forehand in the tramlines to lose the set 6-3.
In the second set, it was Tsitsipas who had to battle back from break points at 1-1, before holding with a huge cross-court forehand.
At 2-1 in the second set, Auger-Aliassime saved two more break points, one with a sensational smash to end a lung-busting rally – despite Tsitsipas doing everything in his power to stay alive in the point.
With the Canadian down 4-3 in the second set, the physicality of his week in Dubai began to show – drifting a forehand long to hand the Greek the crucial break.
Some say that the final game is the hardest to win for any tennis player – even more so in a final – but Tsitsipas had no issue doing so, holding-to-love and clinching the title with an ace.
Tsitsipas: I’m very happy how things progresed
“There’s nothing I can say that assured the win today, I was just fighting and trying my best to avoid that third final loss (in Dubai),” said the newly-crowned Dubai champion during his on-court interview.
“It was nerve wracking, I had a great opponent on the other side of the net, I knew it was a difficult task to face, so I’m just proud of the ways that I managed to handle the pressure and perform in those crucial moments.”
This is something that I was fighting for, for a long time, so it’s great that it’s happened here in Dubai
As mentioned earlier, Tsitsipas came into the final with a 0-11 record in ATP 500 finals, and the streak was broken in a week where he looked rejuvenated and re-energised:
“This is something that I was fighting for, for a long time, so it’s great that it’s happened here in Dubai. My game kind of ‘clicked’ and seemed to work pretty well from the beginning, I’m very happy how things progressed during the week and how I was able to close out some matches that didn’t seem like they belonged to me.”
Auger-Aliassime: Today wasn’t meant to be
The runner-up, Auger-Aliassime took time to thank his team and the crowd, as well as congratulating the Greek:
“Today wasn’t meant to be for me, but congrats to Stefanos and his team. It’s well deserved, great tournament today, we’ve known each other for a very, very long time, but tonight you played at a very high level and I’ll push to get better and hopefully we get more chances to play in the future.”
The pair will next compete at the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, March 5 – 16.
