Daniil Medvedev Claims Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Title Without Playing a Single Point In Final

Daniil Medvedev just won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He didn’t play a single ball in the final. And honestly? He’s probably the most conflicted champion you’ll ever see holding a trophy.

On Saturday, Tallon Griekspoor was ruled unfit to play after sustaining a left hamstring injury during his semi-final win over Andrey Rublev the previous day. A walkover was awarded. Medvedev, who had steamrolled his way through the draw without dropping a set, was handed the title in the most anticlimactic way imaginable.

“Not how I want to win a final,” Medvedev wrote on X shortly after the news broke. “Hoping the injury to Tallon is not too bad and wishing him a speedy recovery.” That’s a pretty gracious response from a guy who spent the whole week playing some of the best tennis of his season, only to be denied the moment he was clearly building toward.

What Griekspoor Went Through Just to Get There

To really appreciate how gutting this situation is for both players, you need to understand what Griekspoor put his body through just to reach the final. In the semi-final against Rublev, the Dutchman felt something go in his leg after a serve at the end of the first set. He took a medical timeout. He sat there, weighing his options, and made the gutsy call to keep going. He went on to win the first set, then saved two set points in the second-set tiebreak before closing it out 8-6.

This guy fought through significant pain to book his spot in the biggest final of his career. Then, after a night’s sleep, a hospital visit, and a couple of scans, the verdict came back: something serious. He couldn’t play.

“I went to the hospital this morning and had a couple of scans, which showed something serious,” Griekspoor said at the trophy ceremony. “It kept me from coming on court tonight and will keep me from the court in the coming weeks.”

Medvedev’s Week Was Dominant From the Jump

As unfortunate as the ending was, Medvedev’s performance leading up to the final deserved the title on its own merits. The Russian went 4-0 without losing a set, defeating Juncheng Shang, Stan Wawrinka (in what was Wawrinka’s farewell to Dubai), Jenson Brooksby, and then top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in what was a masterclass of a semi-final.

Against Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev was dialed in on both serve and return. It was the kind of performance that reminded you of the version of Medvedev who was dominating the tour a couple of years back.”I played unreal the whole week,” Medvedev said. “I was actually really looking forward to the final and trying to play even better than I did.” He wanted more. That tells you everything about where his head is at right now.

A Record He Never Expected To Break This Way

There is a genuinely fun historical footnote buried inside this anticlimactic finish. This Dubai title marks the first time in Medvedev’s career that he has won the same tournament twice. He claimed his first Dubai crown back in 2023, and now this is the only city he’s visited the winner’s circle in more than once.

“That’s what is crazy about it,” he said. “I never did it in any city in the world, and the first time I do it, it’s a walkover.”

What This Title Means For Medvedev’s Season

Even with the odd circumstances, the numbers don’t lie. Medvedev now sits at 13-3 on the season. He’s won two titles, Brisbane in January and now Dubai, and three titles in the past four months. He’s currently ranked No. 11 in the world, sitting just 45 points behind Alexander Bublik at No. 10.

The top 10 is within reach, and Indian Wells is next on the calendar. The ATP Masters 1000 event in California is one Medvedev knows well. He has been a finalist there twice before.

There’s also a notable statistical milestone worth mentioning. With 21 hard-court titles, Medvedev now ties Jannik Sinner for the second-most among active players on the surface. Only Novak Djokovic, sitting at a jaw-dropping 72 hard-court titles, is ahead of them both. Not bad company to be in.

Getting to Indian Wells Won’t Be Easy

And then there’s the small matter of actually leaving Dubai. After the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, the UAE partially and temporarily closed its airspace. Airlines operating in the Middle East began cancelling and diverting flights almost immediately. Medvedev’s team has reportedly been working to figure out how to get him to California in time for Indian Wells.

So the man wins a tournament, doesn’t get to play the final, and then has to navigate a geopolitical crisis just to get to the next event. Being a professional tennis player is rarely boring.

The Bottom Line On Medvedev’s Title

Medvedev played four outstanding matches this week. He was the best player in the draw. The title is his, and no one can argue otherwise. He wanted a final. He wanted to test himself one more time and play even better than he had all week. That opportunity got taken away, and he was genuinely disappointed about it. But the confidence from this week is real. The form is real. And if you’re heading into Indian Wells as one of the hottest players on tour, you’ll take it.