DUBAI, February 25, 2026 (Media Release)
Daniil Medvedev ended three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka’s 20-year relationship with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday, overpowering the 40-year-old Swiss 6-2, 6-3.
Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of the season, was presented with a traditional khanjar and a cake from tournament organisers before being applauded on Centre Court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium by an appreciative afternoon crowd.
Wawrinka, who made his debut in the emirate 20 years ago this week against compatriot Roger Federer and went on to win the title a decade later in 2016, had opened his campaign impressively against Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan on Monday. Yet Medvedev – also crowned champion here in 2023 – proved too large a hurdle. And not only because at 198 cm he is the tallest man to ever reach the top of the ATP rankings.
In a first set that lasted little more than half an hour, Wawrinka surrendered his serve three times, and while he did manage to break the World No. 11 in the sixth game – with the help of Medvedev’s only double-fault of the match – he could not consolidate. In the second set, the two players traded breaks before upping their levels to play out a series of extended rallies that Wawrinka ultimately won. Medvedev’s serving, however, was on point as he hit seven aces before breaking again in the seventh game.
When Wawrinka’s forehand found the net at match-point, cheers went up inside Centre Court, not because – or at least not solely because – Medvedev progresses to the quarterfinals, but because in saying farewell to Wawrinka, the 34-year-old Dubai tournament is saying goodbye to one of the best to grace its courts.
Medvedev Prevails
He puts on an impressive performance to defeat Wawrinka 6-2 6-3#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/xI4Lr6VddY
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 25, 2026
“Dubai has always been special,” said Wawrinka, who won the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, and 2016 US Open. “Since I first arrived on tour, Dubai was always a tournament you look for: So many great players, so many amazing champions play here. One of the biggest on the ATP Tour. I had the opportunity to win it in ’16, so for me it was amazing to receive a wildcard this year and have the chance to play here this week. It was not the best finish, but Dannil is a tough and great player. I tried, but he was better than me.”
Receiving an ovation from the crowd, Wawrinka accepted a commemorative Arabian dagger, and a cake from Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free and Chairman of the Tournament Organising Committee; Salah Tahlak, Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Dubai Duty Free. The local organisers were joined by Eno Polo, the CEO of the ATP Tour, and Hans-Juergen Ochs, ATP Tour Supervisor.
“It’s amazing to play against him for what might be one last time,” said Medvedev. “But it’s also special because usually you sit and wait for your opponent to make a speech only in the final, so it was cool to see the tournament make this gesture to Stan. It’s not his last tournament, but it’s his last tournament here, so it’s cool to see a legend like Stan being appreciated.”
Medevedev will face Jenson Brooksby in the last-eight after the only American in this week’s main draw continued his quest to emulate compatriot Jessica Pegula, who won the WTA 1000 event here last week. Brooksby beat Dubai-based No. 7 seed Karen Khachanov 7-6 (6), 6-4 on New Court 1. The winner of Medvedev-Brooksby is on course to face last year’s defeated finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime, who fought back from 1-4 down against big-serving French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to win in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
Mpetshi Perricard, 22, had raced into a 3-0 lead as he hit four aces in his opening service game, including some that topped 230 kph, and benefited from his Canadian opponent double-faulting to hand him three breakpoints. Yet, just as everything seemed to be going right for the World No. 58, a sudden nosebleed knocked him off stride. Auger-Aliassime recovered to break twice in succession to go 3-4 then 5-4 before quickly closing out.
“It definitely didn’t start the way I wanted,” said the World No. 8, who lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in last year’s final. “Obviously, there’s a bit of shade on the court, different feelings, different sensations during the day, but once I got settled in, I felt like I was returning well. I just thought to myself, ‘I’ll get my chances’ and I did – I took them and came back brilliantly.”
On dealing with Mpetshi Perricard’s powerful serve, Auger-Aliassime said he was actively trying to drag his opponent around the court. “Obviously, I had a few double faults to start the match, but after I cleaned that up, I was way more efficient from 3-0 down,” he said. “Also just maybe moving him a little bit more; not playing in one spot, because he’s so powerful when he’s not moving. It’s different if he starts moving, so you have got to be smart and adjust tactically to try to find a way to win.”
Auger-Aliassime, who has now reached at least the quarterfinals three times already this year after winning in Montpellier and getting to the final in Rotterdam, will meet Jiri Lahecka next. The Czech, seeded eighth this week, saw off Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6 (6), 6-4 to reach his second successive quarterfinal following a straight-sets defeat to Arthur Fils in Doha last week.
