French Open: Nadal faces Zverev in first round

French Open: Nadal faces Zverev in first round
Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves the ball to Switzerland’s Roger Federer during the men’s final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris in 2007. (AP/File)
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Updated 23 May 2024
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French Open: Nadal faces Zverev in first round

French Open: Nadal faces Zverev in first round
  • Nadal had been coy about whether he would compete Roland Garros after two seasons of off-and-on action because of injuries

PARIS: Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field, after all, and the 14-time champion was set up for a challenging first-round matchup against Alexander Zverev from Thursday’s draw.
Nadal had been coy about whether he would compete Roland Garros after two seasons of off-and-on action because of injuries, including a surgically repaired hip that forced him to miss his favorite tournament a year ago.
After a loss at the Italian Open this month, Nadal said he needed to think about whether to play in Paris. But he has been practicing on the red clay at Roland Garros this week and his name was officially in the bracket.
Unseeded.
His matchup against the No. 4-ranked Zverev is a rematch of their 2022 semifinal that ended when Zverev tore ligaments in his right ankle.
The French Open begins on Sunday.


Felix Auger-Aliassime survives feisty affair against Bublik to reach Dubai second round

Felix Auger-Aliassime survives feisty affair against Bublik to reach Dubai second round
Updated 25 February 2025
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Felix Auger-Aliassime survives feisty affair against Bublik to reach Dubai second round

Felix Auger-Aliassime survives feisty affair against Bublik to reach Dubai second round
  • Canadian picks up a tour-leading 13th victory of the season

DUBAI: Underarm serves, a questionable VAR call, fiery competition, and a rowdy crowd: Felix Auger-Aliassime’s 7-6 (7), 6-7 (4), 6-3 win over Alexander Bublik in the Dubai first round on Tuesday certainly had it all.

Auger-Aliassime needed two hours and 49 minutes and four match points to overcome the unpredictable Bublik, who was a finalist in Dubai last year and is renowned for his trick shots and unorthodox playing style.

The opening-set tiebreak was particularly contentious between the pair as Auger-Aliassime requested video replay on a point that was awarded to Bublik. The Kazakhstani had hit an overhead which Auger-Aliassime attempted to reach but claimed he was hindered by the ball boy, who was in his way.

“So if you hit the fence, is it replay?” questioned Bublik from the other side of the net.

Chair umpire Miriam Bley sided with Auger-Aliassime and decided the point should be replayed.

Bublik was not happy with the call but play resumed. It was 6-6 in the breaker and Bublik was on his second serve. Instead of taking a safe route at such a crucial stage in the match, Bublik hit a sneaky underarm serve, which caught Auger-Aliassime by surprise and went unreturned, awarding Bublik a set point.

Bublik gestured to the crowd to get louder, feeling vindicated after the VAR call.

But his triumph was short-lived as he soon double-faulted to gift Auger-Aliassime the set.

It was the Canadian’s turn to rally the crowd behind him, as he mocked Bublik’s celebration from earlier and pointed to his ear with a smirk on his face.

The match ultimately went the way of Auger-Aliassime, who now owns a tour-leading 13 victories so far this season, alongside Alex de Minaur and Jiri Lehecka.

“It was a good match. I think entertaining for the crowd, for both players. And some good tennis as well. Some crazy shots on both sides during the match. So, yeah, high quality,” Auger-Aliassime told Arab News after the win.

The Canadian, who will next face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in round two, improved his head-to-head against Bublik to 3-2 overall and despite being familiar with his opponent’s antics, Auger-Aliassime admits he was taken by surprise a few times during the clash.

“Well, it’s not common, so you forget. And then I got caught a few times,” said Auger-Aliassime.

“And then I was like, ‘alright, this is the last time I get caught. So, I need to stay on my toes and be ready.’ That’s the challenge with him. It’s different. But I welcome and accept every challenge. And it’s good things, you know.”

Auger-Aliassime is enjoying a strong start to 2025, having already lifted two trophies in Adelaide and Montpellier in these opening few weeks of the season.

Dubai is not a typical stop on his calendar but with Doha getting upgraded to the ATP 500 level, Auger-Aliassime said playing back-to-back 500s in the Gulf made for a convenient schedule.

The 24-year-old credits the hard work he has been putting in with his team for his form this season, and is thrilled to see it finally paying off.

Highly-touted from his teen years, Auger-Aliassime had a breakout campaign in 2022, where he peaked at No.6 in the world rankings.

The Canadian entered the scene at a time where the legendary trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were still around and he has played each of them at least once.

Now, Auger-Aliassime has to contend with a different dominant force in the shape of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are both younger than him, and have been winning the majority of the big events on tour.

He explains the challenge he is currently up against in the men’s game.

“It’s different. Rafa, Roger, Novak were idols of mine growing up. These guys, I have a ton of respect for them and they’re unbelievable players, but they’re not my idols in a way,” he said, referring to Sinner and Alcaraz.

“They’re my rivals, my competitors, and they’re good guys too. So it’s good for the sport. That being said, I feel like obviously 18, 19, 20, I was in that group. You know, 22, six in the world and then had some difficulties.

“But it’s been interesting. It’s been interesting. I would have loved to keep on climbing the rankings, keep winning big tournaments. But I feel like as a person, these last two years taught me a lot, gave me a lot of important lessons that hopefully are going to serve me now in this next part of my career and in my future life as well.”


Tsitsipas targeting third Dubai final after beating Sonego

Tsitsipas targeting third Dubai final after beating Sonego
Updated 25 February 2025
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Tsitsipas targeting third Dubai final after beating Sonego

Tsitsipas targeting third Dubai final after beating Sonego
  • Greece star Stefanos Tsitsipas at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for first time since losing to Novak Djokovic in 2020 final and faces Karen Khachanov in round 2
  • Young Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard overpowers Zhizhen Zhang with display of force from the service line, including a 235 kph second serve during second-set tiebreak

DUBAI: After a five-year absence from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Greece star Stefanos Tsitsipas returned with a straight-sets victory on Monday, defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(4), 6-3 to advance to the second round.

The world No. 11 has enjoyed relative success at the emirate’s ATP 500 event in the past, having twice reached the final, in 2019 and 2020, only to lose to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

This year, returning as the No. 4 seed and back playing on the familiar hard blue Centre Court at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Tsitsipas looked comfortable, navigating a tight opening set before asserting control in the second.

Having broken Sonego midway through the first set, Tsitsipas immediately let his opponent level for 4-4 when he failed to hold serve.

And as both players held for the remainder of the set it was the two-time Grand Slam finalist who found himself staring at a 3-0 deficit early in the tiebreaker.

Yet he rallied and managed to turn it around through a series of aggressive returns. “It was not an easy first-round match,” said Tsitsipas, who saw his head-to-head record against the Italian improve to 4-0.

“There were a few troubles in the tiebreaker, but it was great towards the end. I felt I was in a bit of trouble at the end of the first set, but I came up with some good returns.

“And I think my attacking game redeemed myself in that moment. I was not backing down and that was something I was genuinely pleased with. I’m happy with how things turned out.

“The second set felt like the better set. I just went for my shots and they worked. It was a high-paced match. Against players like Lorenzo, you can’t blink because they can come up with all kinds of shots and can be dangerous in those moments.

“My return games were very important today in terms of coming up with solutions when I needed them the most.”

Tsitsipas will face unseeded Karen Khachanov next, a player he knows well having faced him nine times on Tour, and having trained together occasionally in Dubai during the off-season.

Khachanov, a resident of Dubai since 2016, will be hoping to improve his 1-8 head-to-head record when the two meet on Wednesday.

He defeated British wildcard Dan Evans 6-1, 6-3 to snap a three-match losing streak and claim a maiden win against the Dubai 2020 semifinalist, having lost all five previous meetings.

“From the beginning, I was playing at a really great level. I haven’t beaten him before — we always had tough matches — so I was really, really looking to get this first win,” said Khachanov.

He added that he would approach his second-round match with Tsitsipas with confidence. “I’m always, let’s say, believing in myself; I’m always going out there to fight.”

In the late match, France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard overcame China’s Zhizhen Zhang in straight sets, although he faced set points in the second and required a tiebreaker to close out the win.

Ranked No. 29 in the world, the 21-year-old provided an exciting showcase of his increasingly fearsome power, including a huge 235 kph second-serve during the tiebreaker.

“I felt confident,” said Mpetshi Perricard. “It was a tough first match, but I did a good tiebreaker and am very happy to get the win. I hope to play like this in the second round.”

Next up for the Frenchman will likely be top seed and world No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, who faces unseeded Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday.

Medvedev is also no stranger to a powerful serve so — save for a shock upset by Germany’s Struff — Wednesday could provide fans with an engrossing showcase of sheer power from the service line.

Earlier in the day, Arab wildcards Hady Habib of Lebanon and Azi Dougaz from Tunisia, were both in action.

Habib, who represented his country at the Paris Olympics Games, faced world No. 27 Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Centre Court, losing 6-2, 6-4; while Dougaz lost 6-3, 6-3 to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.


Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run

Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run
Updated 24 February 2025
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Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run

Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run
  • Lebanese trailblazer grateful for ‘huge learning experience’ in Doha and Dubai
  • 26-year-old has moved up the rankings from 320 to 166 in the world in the span of two months

DUBAI: Life has been a whirlwind for Lebanese tennis player Hady Habib these past few months, but you would not know that by speaking to him, given his calm and collected demeanor.

The 26-year-old moved up the rankings from 320 to 166 in the world in the span of two months, and in the process made history as the first Lebanese in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles main draw match, at the Australian Open a few weeks ago.

When he reached the second round in Melbourne, he received an unexpected phone call from the president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun.

“I was actually at the gym. This was after I won my first round, and I get a call from this random number. They didn’t really tell me who was going to talk to you. Some guy from the presidential palace was like, ‘I have someone to talk to you,’ and then this guy congratulated me,” Habib told Arab News this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“He said ‘congrats’. I’m like, ‘sorry, who am I speaking to?’ He’s like, ‘this is the president.’

“I'm like, oh my God. I just had to pause for a moment just to let that sink in. I was like, thank you so much. It means a lot. It was really special to have him congratulate me, being the president of Lebanon. He’s also new as well. So I also congratulated him for being newly elected. It was a very cool moment.”

After Australia, Habib spent just two days at home with his family before travelling to Dubai for a one-week training block. He then went to Cairo to compete in the Davis Cup for Lebanon against Peru before accepting wildcards into the main draws of the ATP 500 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

Competing at a Grand Slam and at these ATP events in the Middle East has allowed Habib to venture into new territory, sharing draws and locker rooms with the best tennis players on the planet. It has exposed him to a level of tennis he has been striving to reach, and to tournaments he had been dreaming of taking part in.

“It still feels new. I just need to let it sink in,” the Texas-born Lebanese said.

“It feels like you’ve been watching these tournaments growing up, and just seeing these guys play, and to be able to play in the same draw as them, like Novak (Djokovic) and all the players, it’s just a lot to sink in.

“I’m just really happy to be able to experience this level of tennis and to be around all these great players. Hopefully, I’ll get to that level. I'm working towards it.”

Habib lost his opening matches in Doha and Dubai, but considers this Middle East swing “a huge learning experience.”

His coach, Patricio Heras, has been encouraging him to keep things simple and stick to the fundamentals, even in the face of all these new challenges.

“I think that we need to be very open-minded to learning,” Heras told Arab News on Sunday.

“Not to focus on the things we don’t have yet, but on the things we can take from every match, from the players. All these players are new for us, so is being in these tournaments. We have to focus on learning and focusing on what they do good and try to imitate them, rather than think, ‘no, I don’t have this. No, no, let’s focus on the good things and be open-minded.”

The top tier of professional tennis can sometimes feel like an exclusive club that is difficult to break into.

Getting invited to compete in the ATP events in Doha and Dubai has given Habib a sneak peek into what he hopes will soon be his life on tour.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m the new guy here. I don’t really have any friends at this level. Everyone probably has their own circle and cult, so it’s difficult in a way because I’m trying to set up practices, and everyone’s already set,” Habib said.

“I end up hitting (with) my coach most of the time, but it’s a bit of a transition to get used to the new environment, the new players, and trying to get yourself in there in a way, trying to practice with them and stuff like that. It’s a learning experience. I’m trying to do the best I can to learn and try to eventually play these events as much as possible.”

Between winning a Challenger title in the very last week of tournaments in 2024, and his run to the Australian Open second round, as a qualifier, at the start of 2025, things have escalated quickly for Habib, who finds himself in search of new goals, now that his previous targets have been reached.

“One of my goals is to be in the top 100. Of course, that’s every tennis player’s dream, is to be able to be in that ranking, to play the main draw of the slams and get in all these big tournaments, but that’s my goal for now, to be in the top 100,” Habib said.

Heras has total belief in his charge’s potential, and says Habib’s professionalism is what sets him apart.

“He takes care of himself in a very professional way. He does the things he needs to do. He’s a very calm guy,” the Argentinian coach said.

“Sometimes it’s hard for him to explain what he’s going through and I think that sometimes it’s not good because he’s not expressing himself with me or with someone else. And he tries to manage everything by himself and it’s so tough to hold everything in. In some way he’s managing it and I think that is a really good part because it makes him a mature person.”

Heras added: “I think that, tennis-wise, he doesn’t have a ceiling. It’s everything in his mind and let’s see how far he can go. But I think that, tennis-wise, he has all the chances to be top 100, and even top 50, I would say. Not only because I trust him and I have confidence but because I can see from his practices, from the matches he’s playing during the tournaments. It’s really exciting.”


Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history
Updated 23 February 2025
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Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history
  • It was a performance that didn’t just earn Andreeva a maiden WTA 1000 trophy, but also secured her top-10 debut with the Russian expected to rise to No. 9 when the new rankings are released on Monday
  • Besides the 1,000 ranking points she received for winning the Dubai crown, Andreeva pocketed $597,000 in prize money, which she says she will hand over to her father

DUBAI: Inspired by LeBron James and Roger Federer, Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva wrapped up a fairytale week in Dubai by becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion with victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday.

After ousting three Grand Slam winners, including second-seeded Iga Swiatek, en route to the final, Andreeva ended Tauson’s own dream run at the tournament with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 victory against the Dane.

It was a performance that didn’t just earn Andreeva a maiden WTA 1000 trophy, but also secured her top-10 debut with the Russian expected to rise to No. 9 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Andreeva admitted she did not feel her best on court during the final, but drew inspiration from interviews she watched of NBA legend James talking about how champions can find ways to win even without their A-game.

“I just told myself, ‘You can either let that negativity come into your head and kill you, or you can choose to be 100 percent mentally and fight for every point and if something doesn’t go your way, well okay fine, you forget about it and you play one point at a time’,” said Andreeva.

“I’ve been listening to a lot of LeBron James interviews, and he said that, ‘It’s easy to be confident and to play good when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is when you’re giving your best when you don’t feel great’. So that’s what I tried to do today.”

Andreeva also revealed she has been watching highlights from Roger Federer’s 2017 Australian Open final victory over Rafael Nadal before her matches this week, taking cues from the Swiss great.

“I was watching some highlights. I was like, ‘Damn, how can he play like this? This is something extraordinary’,” she said.

Tauson had been a giant-slayer herself in Dubai, knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the biggest final of her career.

The 22-year-old entered the clash with Andreeva leading the tour with 15 match-wins so far this season.

She was looking to add a second title to her tally in 2025, and fourth overall, but Andreeva had other ideas, as she overcame her big-hitting opponent in one hour and 46 minutes of all-court prowess.

In the youngest WTA 1000 final since the category was introduced in 2009, Andreeva played a near-perfect opening-set tiebreak to take the lead after 60 minutes of play.

She upped the ante in the second set, breaking twice for a 5-1 advantage and served out the win at the first time of asking.

On Monday, Andreeva will become the first 17-year-old to be ranked in the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

During the trophy ceremony, Andreeva congratulated Tauson and thanked her coach Conchita Martinez and her family for their support. The affable teenager then surprised the crowd by paying credit to herself.

“Last but not least, I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with so I want to thank me for always believing in me, I want to thank me for never quitting and always dealing with the pressure,” said Andreeva.

“Today it was not easy but I chose to be there 100 percent, so I thank myself for that.”

Besides the 1,000 ranking points she received for winning the Dubai crown, Andreeva pocketed $597,000 in prize money, which she says she will hand over to her father, given she is still 17 and doesn’t manage her own finances.

The Russian had set a goal for herself before the start of the season to finish the year ranked in the top 10 — a target she has now checked off her list in just the second month of her campaign.

Tauson confessed she ran out of steam at the end of a taxing week, and revealed she had been spending almost three hours each day with the tournament physios to deal with various physical issues.

“I can’t tell you where it doesn’t hurt right now,” said the Dane.


Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
Updated 21 February 2025
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Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
  • The 17-year-old beat the 5-time Grand Slam winner in straight sets for a place in the last 4 against world No. 7 Elena Rybakina
  • Friday’s other semifinal has unseeded Danish star Clara Tauson, who beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, face No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic

DUBAI: World No. 2 Iga Swiatek was sensationally knocked out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in straight sets on Thursday as the talented teen Mirra Andreeva made history to book a place in the WTA 1000 semifinal for the first time in her career.

With the win, Andreeva becomes the youngest player to reach the final four since the emirate’s tournament began in 2001.

When world No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the tournament on Wednesday night, Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, looked favorite for a maiden Dubai crown.

Yet less than 24 hours later, the Polish star was also packing her bags after a stunning performance by Andreeva, who claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory to become, at 17 years and 297 days, the youngest semifinalist in the 25-year history of the Dubai women’s event.

Andreeva, who admitted she was nervous beforehand, struggled in her first service game of the opening set, but managed to save three break points before breaking her opponent’s serve to take the lead.

Covering the court well while also reading Swiatek’s shots, she broke once more with a powerful forehand down the line.

Swiatek rallied to establish a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Andreeva refused to surrender. Following a brief on-court conversation with her coach, the teen went on to win five games in a row to secure the win.

The victory proved sweet revenge for the three-set defeat she suffered in her only other meeting with Swiatek in Cincinnati last year.

“Last time we played, (it) was a close match — tough, intense,” Andreeva said. “This time, I just tried to tell myself to go for my shots, to be aggressive, to not hesitate.”

She added: “That helped me to win in a way. I just tell myself, if I’m here, I play my best, I try to play my best, I go for my shots, fight for every ball. It doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court.

“If I lose 6-0, 5-0 or I win 7-5, 6-4, it doesn’t matter. I just go for my shots and try to bring out my best level.”

Next up for No. 12 seed Andreeva is a semifinal clash with world No. 7 Elena Rybakina, who defeated American wildcard Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6(2) under lights.

The Kazakh reached the final in Dubai in 2020 and is aware that while expectation dictates that her experience should help, there is an inherent danger in playing an opponent who has already exceeded her own expectations.

“For sure, she has nothing to lose now,” Rybakina said of Andreeva. “She is playing very well in this tournament and is very dangerous. She’s physically very good, very quick.

“Also I saw today a couple of games and she was serving really well. If she plays like that, for sure it won’t be easy, but I will try to recover and be prepared to show my best.”

Asked how her own mindset has changed from being a young player to now being a Grand Slam winner with a target on her back, the Wimbledon 2022 champion responded: “Definitely before I was just going out there and enjoying; just hitting free.

“The atmosphere is always nice to play on these big courts and nothing to lose when I was young. Every match was a great experience, but it is different when you’re a top player because everybody wants to beat you.

“(Andreeva) has so much in front of her and she’s for sure dangerous for me.” 

In the other semifinal, unseeded Dane Clara Tauson will meet No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova, who beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the late match of the day.

Tauson, ranked No. 38 in the world, made headlines on Wednesday night after slaying Sabalenka in straights sets and she admitted fears she would be unable to match that performance in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

She need not have worried, defeating the Czech Linda Noskova 7-6(4), 6-4 on Centre Court. “The level I had (against Sabalenka) is a level you hit maybe five or six times a year, so I was sure it wasn’t going to be the same and I was really prepared for that.

“I was texting one of my best friends (last night): ‘I had a great match today; I’m for sure going to play (bad) tomorrow.’ But I didn’t and I’m really happy about that … otherwise, I would have lost for sure.

“That’s what helped me, I think, I was aware it was going to be a tougher match.”

The 25th edition of the annual WTA 1000 event runs until Feb. 22, followed by the 33rd staging of the men’s ATP Tour 500 tournament from Feb. 24 to March 1.