An action-packed February on the ATP Tour continues this coming week with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. It is a tournament worth 500 ranking points to the champion, making it the third-biggest category on tour behind the Grand Slams and Masters 1000s. Among the players headlining a strong field are Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime. A 32-man draw is also scheduled to feature veterans Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils and Marin Cilic.
With main-draw competition beginning on Monday, it’s time to look at the best bets for the ATP 500 event in Dubai.
Outright Winner Tips
- ALEX DE MINAUR
- ANDREY RUBLEV
- JACK DRAPER
De Minaur Off To Stellar Start In 2025
De Minaur has come out of the gates red hot this season, sporting a 13-3 record that includes a quarterfinal showing at the Australian Open and a runner-up performance in Rotterdam. The Aussie’s only losses have come to Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Of those three players, only Rublev is entered in the Dubai tournament. Although the field is formidable, it’s not one that De Minaur is incapable of navigating.
As the entry list stands right now, De Minaur will be the No. 2 seed behind Medvedev. That should put the 26-year-old in line for a favorable draw – giving him every opportunity to take the title.
Rublev Looks To Make Amends For Last Year’s Default
Rublev’s exit from Dubai was perhaps the most infamous moment on the ATP Tour in 2024. In the semifinals against Alexander Bublik, Rublev was defaulted for shouting in the face of a linesperson following a questionable call that allowed Bublik to hold his serve for a 6-5 lead in the third set.
Although the Russian mostly struggled throughout the remainder of last season and has already endured some disappointing losses this year, he suddenly looks poised for success in Dubai. The world No. 10 currently finds himself in the Doha semis after outlasting De Minaur in an absolute thriller on Thursday. It’s also worth noting that Rublev boasts an awesome 17-4 lifetime record in Dubai with one title – and his stats could be even better if not for the default!
Draper One Of The Tour’s Rising Stars
At 23 years old, Draper has surged to 16th in the ATP rankings – and he would probably be even higher if not for a slew of injuries. The Brit ended 2024 with a 9-2 record in his last 11 matches (highlighted by a title in Vienna) and he is 6-1 so far this season with a loss only to Alcaraz in the Australian Open fourth round.
Like Rublev, Draper is also in the Doha semifinals as of Friday afternoon. The left-hander has been extremely impressive, routing Alexei Popyrin and Christopher O’Connell in addition to a three-set win over Matteo Berrettini – who upset Novak Djokovic in the opening round. With nobody in the top five entered in Dubai, the title should be relatively up for grabs. Draper has as good of a chance as anyone to capitalize on the opportunity.
