Andrey Rublev claimed victory at the Qatar Open, defeating Britain’s Jack Draper 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 in the final. The win marked the first time the Russian had successfully defended a title. “It feels amazing. It’s the first time I’ve won the same title twice,” Rublev said. “I’m really happy. I don’t know what else to say.”
The opening set remained tightly contested, with both players holding serve comfortably for most of it. Rublev served to love on four occasions, while Draper did so twice. However, the Russian eventually found the breakthrough, breaking Draper late in the set to clinch it 7-5.
The second set appeared destined for a tiebreak until Draper secured a crucial break for a 6-5 lead. He then served out the set, leveling the match and giving himself hope of securing his first victory over Rublev in their fourth meeting.
With momentum seemingly in his favor, Draper entered the deciding set with confidence. However, Rublev responded with a dominant display, breaking twice early to race to a 5-0 lead. Although Draper managed to hold serve to avoid a 6-0 set, Rublev closed out the match with two aces to seal the win.
“I really like Jack as a person and I really like his game,” Rublev said. “He has a really, really great career and future ahead. He will win many great things.”
Draper, who had been seeking his third ATP title following triumphs in Stuttgart and Vienna the previous year, acknowledged Rublev’s superiority in the final set. “I want to congratulate Andrey. He was too good today. Outlasted me,” Draper said. “We played some really tough matches this week. In the third set, he was a bit too strong for me.”
Despite the loss, the 23-year-old Briton reached a career-high world ranking of No. 12, marking another milestone in his progression.
Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva made history at the Dubai Tennis Championships, becoming the youngest player to win a WTA 1000 title at just 17 years old. She secured a commanding 7-6 (1), 6-1 victory over Clara Tauson in the final, capping off a remarkable run in which she defeated three Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina.
Her triumph ensured that she would break into the world’s top 10 for the first time. “I’d set a goal for myself to be in the top 10 by the end of the year. Now it’s the end of February and I’ve already made it, so this is something incredible for me,” Andreeva said. “I’m just super happy with the way I was playing today. I was hella nervous. I think you could see it during the match with all those double faults and some mistakes.”
The match began with Tauson taking an early lead after an assured service game, while Andreeva struggled with two double faults to go 2-0 down. However, the Russian quickly regained her rhythm, leveling at 2-2. Both players showcased powerful hitting and court coverage, resulting in a tightly contested first set that was ultimately decided by a tiebreak.
Andreeva had been flawless in tiebreaks throughout the season, and she maintained her perfect record, winning the first six points before sealing the set as Tauson sent a return long.
Tauson took a medical timeout before the second set and showed her frustration after losing the opening game, throwing her racket to the ground. Although she executed a couple of impressive drop shots, Andreeva continued to gain confidence, breaking twice to surge into a 4-1 lead. The young Russian dictated the rallies, forcing errors from her opponent and showcasing her shot-making ability with emphatic overhead smashes. She moved ahead 5-1 and served for the title, sealing the victory on her second championship point when another Tauson return went long.
In addition to making history as the youngest WTA 1000 winner, Andreeva also became only the second teenager male or female to win the Dubai event since its inception in 1993, following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal, who won in 2006.
“Lastly, I want to thank me for never quitting and always believing in myself,” Andreeva said with a smile after lifting the trophy.
