Stefanos Tsitsipas bested Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the 2025 Dubai Championships to win his first title in 11 months.
Both finalists enjoyed a great week in Dubai. They bested some great players along the way, but while, for one, it was the continuation of this year’s story, the other one ended a long wait.
Tsitsipas hasn’t played in a final for almost ten months, while Auger-Aliassime has managed to win two titles before playing in the final of the ATP 500 event in the United Arab Emirates.
Maybe a bit rusty when it comes to the final appearances, but the Greek player was also the first one to encounter problems in this final. Down 1-2, he faced a couple of break points, but his serve got him out of trouble.
Only a few games later, it was Tsitsipas who managed to trouble his opponent. Auger-Aliassime led 40-0 on his serve at 3-3, but he shockingly lost five points in a row to fall behind by a break.
The Greek player again felt the pressure in his next service game. Confirming the break was a difficult task for Tsitsipas, as he had to face two break points. But he again handled the situation perfectly to confirm the break and lead 5-3.
The former ATP World No. 3 player then added another break to win the first set of the match very convincingly, 6-3. He had fewer chances than his opponent, but managed to use all of them, which made all the difference.
Tsitsipas couldn’t avoid facing break points in the second set either, but it didn’t matter, as he remained clinical when facing them. He saved two in the third game of the second set.
Auger-Aliassime also played with fire at the start of the second set. After not using two break chances, he faced two himself while 1-2 down, but masterfully saved both and let out a big roar.
The Canadian player continued creating chances, but also not converting them. At 3-3, he had yet another break point, but for the seventh time in this match, he couldn’t use his chance to break.
Auger-Aliassime then probably felt the frustration in his next service game. He sprayed unforced errors left and right, practically gifting his opponent a crucial break.
Tsitsipas served out the match without too many issues, winning 6-3, 6-3, to claim his first title since the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters. This win also means that he will return to the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings.
