Dubai Tennis Championships

The Dubai Tennis Championships or Dubai Open (also known as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for sponsorship reasons) (formerly known for sponsorship reasons as the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships and the Dubai Duty Free Men's and Women's Championships) is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on outdoor hardcourts.

Dubai Tennis Championships
Tournament information
TourATP Tour
WTA Tour
Founded1993; 31 years ago (1993)
LocationDubai
United Arab Emirates
VenueAviation Club Tennis Centre
SurfaceHard – outdoors
WebsiteOfficial website
Current champions (2024)
Men's singlesFrance Ugo Humbert
Women's singlesItaly Jasmine Paolini
Men's doublesNetherlands Tallon Griekspoor
Germany Jan-Lennard Struff
Women's doublesAustralia Storm Hunter
Czech Republic Kateřina Siniaková
ATP Tour
CategoryATP Tour 500
Draw32S / 24Q / 16D
Prize moneyUS$2,941,785 (2024)
WTA Tour
CategoryWTA 1000
Draw56S / 32Q / 28D
Prize moneyUS$3,211,715 (2024)

The tournament takes place at the end of February and organizes a men's and women's event. The tournament takes place under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. In 2001 the ATP upgraded the tournament from an ATP 250 level to the more prestigious ATP 500 level tournament. On the WTA Tour, it alternated yearly between a WTA 1000 level tournament and a WTA 500 level tournament, until 2024, when it remained a WTA 1000 event from the prior year. Prior to the 1990s there was an annual Dubai Tennis Championship played at the British Embassy.

The Dubai Tennis Championships was the third tournament in pro tennis history to award equal prize money for both men and women, until 2021.[citation needed]

The courts usually have a medium-fast speed considered to be similar in speed to the Shanghai and Swiss Indoor (Basel) courts.[citation needed]

History

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The 2014 Dubai Tennis Championships semifinal featuring Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

The Dubai Tennis Championships debuted at the Aviation Club in 1993 as an ATP 250 tournament.[1] At the time there was no formal stadium and the tournament was hosted on hardcourts surrounded by temporary scaffold seating to host a total of 3000 viewers across all courts.[1]

In 1996, the Dubai Tennis Championships took place at the newly erected Dubai Tennis Stadium at the Aviation Club. The construction of the Dubai Tennis Stadium also led to the development of various food & beverage entertainment locations in and around the stadium base, like the Irish and Century Villages. In 2012, a 293-bedroom hotel was constructed on-site that hosts many of the players and officials during the 2 week event.

The inaugural ATP men's tournament was won by Karel Nováček in 1993 who was ranked world number 23 at the time. The inaugural WTA women's tournament debuted in 2001 as a Premier tournament and was won by Martina Hingis.

For five years, Swiss Roger Federer, on the men's side, and Belgian Justine Henin, on the women's side, dominated the singles' tournaments. Between 2003 and 2007, Federer and Henin each won the singles title four times. However, in 2008, neither player managed to reach the finals; Andy Roddick and Elena Dementieva became the new champions.

In 2005, the Dubai Tennis Championships implemented equal prize money policy[2] becoming the third professional tennis event to do so after the US Open and Australian Open.

2009 Shahar Pe'er visa controversy

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In February 2009, Israeli player Shahar Pe'er was denied an entry visa by the United Arab Emirates, a country that did not have diplomatic relations with Israel at the time. Tournament director Salah Tahlak said that Pe'er was refused on the grounds that her appearance could incite anger in the Arab country, after she had already faced protests earlier at the ASB Classic over the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.[3] A number of top-seeded players, among them Venus Williams,[4] condemned the action not to grant Pe'er a visa.

In response, the Dubai Tennis Championship was fined a record US$300,000. The fine was appealed by DTC, but the WTA Tour Board rejected the appeal.[5] Pe'er was awarded a guarantee to enter the next (2010) edition of the event, plus US$44,250, an amount equal to the average prize money she earned per tournament in 2008.[6] A number of highly ranked tennis players, including 2008 winner Andy Roddick, pulled out of the men's event (ATP 500 Dubai) which was scheduled to take place the week after the women's event. As a result, the UAE issued Israeli Andy Ram a visa for the men's tournament.[7]

Past finals

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Dubai Tennis Championships in 2006

In the men's singles, Roger Federer (winner in 2003–05, 2007, 2012, 2014–15, 2019, runner-up in 2006, 2011) holds the records for most titles (eight), most finals (ten), and most consecutive titles (three), sharing the last record with Novak Djokovic (winner in 2009–11, 2013, 2020, runner-up in 2015). In the women's singles, Justine Henin (2003–04, 2006–07) holds the record for most titles (four) and shares with Venus Williams (2009–10, 2014) and Elina Svitolina (2017–18) the record for most consecutive titles (two). In men's doubles, Mahesh Bhupathi (1998, 2004, 2008, 2012–13) has won the most overall titles (five), and co-holds with Grant Connell (1995–96) the record for most consecutive titles (two). In women's doubles, Liezel Huber (2007–09, 2011–12) took the most titles (five) and, alongside partner Cara Black (2007–09), the most back-to-back titles (three).

Men's singles

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Roger Federer (winner in 2003–05, 2007, 2012, 2014–15, 2019, runner-up in 2006, 2011) holds all records in Dubai, for most titles (eight), most finals (ten), most consecutive titles (three) and most consecutive finals (five).
 
Novak Djokovic (winner in 2009–11, 2013, 2020, runner-up in 2015) shares with Federer the record for most consecutive titles (three).
Year Champion Runner-up Score
↓  ATP Tour 250[a]  ↓
1993   Karel Nováček   Fabrice Santoro 6–4, 7–5
1994   Magnus Gustafsson   Sergi Bruguera 6–4, 6–2
1995   Wayne Ferreira   Andrea Gaudenzi 6–3, 6–3
1996   Goran Ivanišević   Albert Costa 6–4, 6–3
1997   Thomas Muster   Goran Ivanišević 7–5, 7–6(7–3)
1998   Àlex Corretja   Félix Mantilla 7–6(7–0), 6–1
1999   Jérôme Golmard   Nicolas Kiefer 6–4, 6–2
2000   Nicolas Kiefer   Juan Carlos Ferrero 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
↓  ATP Tour 500[b]  ↓
2001   Juan Carlos Ferrero   Marat Safin 6–2, 3–1 Ret.
2002   Fabrice Santoro   Younes El Aynaoui 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
2003   Roger Federer   Jiří Novák 6–1, 7–6(7–2)
2004   Roger Federer (2)   Feliciano López 4–6, 6–1, 6–2
2005   Roger Federer (3)   Ivan Ljubičić 6–1, 6–7(6–8), 6–3
2006   Rafael Nadal   Roger Federer 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
2007   Roger Federer (4)   Mikhail Youzhny 6–4, 6–3
2008   Andy Roddick   Feliciano López 6–7(8–10), 6–4, 6–2
2009   Novak Djokovic   David Ferrer 7–5, 6–3
2010   Novak Djokovic (2)   Mikhail Youzhny 7–5, 5–7, 6–3
2011   Novak Djokovic (3)   Roger Federer 6–3, 6–3
2012   Roger Federer (5)   Andy Murray 7–5, 6–4
2013   Novak Djokovic (4)   Tomáš Berdych 7–5, 6–3
2014   Roger Federer (6)   Tomáš Berdych 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
2015   Roger Federer (7)   Novak Djokovic 6–3, 7–5
2016   Stan Wawrinka   Marcos Baghdatis 6–4, 7–6(15–13)
2017   Andy Murray   Fernando Verdasco 6–3, 6–2
2018   Roberto Bautista Agut   Lucas Pouille 6–3, 6–4
2019   Roger Federer (8)   Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–4, 6–4
2020   Novak Djokovic (5)   Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–3, 6–4
2021   Aslan Karatsev   Lloyd Harris 6–3, 6–2
2022   Andrey Rublev   Jiří Veselý 6–3, 6–4
2023   Daniil Medvedev   Andrey Rublev 6–2, 6–2
2024   Ugo Humbert   Alexander Bublik 6–4, 6–3

Women's singles

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Justine Henin (2003–04, 2006–07) collected a record total of four singles titles in Dubai.
 
Former world No. 1 Simona Halep clinched the title in Dubai in 2015 and 2020.
Year Champion Runner-up Score
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2001   Martina Hingis   Nathalie Tauziat 6–4, 6–4
2002   Amélie Mauresmo   Sandrine Testud 6–4, 7–6(7–3)
2003   Justine Henin-Hardenne   Monica Seles 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 7–5
2004   Justine Henin-Hardenne (2)   Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–6(7–3), 6–3
2005   Lindsay Davenport   Jelena Janković 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
2006   Justine Henin-Hardenne (3)   Maria Sharapova 7–5, 6–2
2007   Justine Henin (4)   Amélie Mauresmo 6–4, 7–5
2008   Elena Dementieva   Svetlana Kuznetsova 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2009   Venus Williams   Virginie Razzano 6–4, 6–2
2010   Venus Williams (2)   Victoria Azarenka 6–3, 7–5
2011   Caroline Wozniacki   Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–1, 6–3
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2012   Agnieszka Radwańska   Julia Görges 7–5, 6–4
2013   Petra Kvitová   Sara Errani 6–2, 1–6, 6–1
2014   Venus Williams (3)   Alizé Cornet 6–3, 6–0
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2015   Simona Halep   Karolína Plíšková 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2016   Sara Errani   Barbora Strýcová 6–0, 6–2
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2017   Elina Svitolina   Caroline Wozniacki 6–4, 6–2
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2018   Elina Svitolina (2)   Daria Kasatkina 6–4, 6–0
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2019   Belinda Bencic   Petra Kvitová 6–3, 1–6, 6–2
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2020   Simona Halep (2)   Elena Rybakina 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–5)
↓  WTA 1000 tournament   ↓
2021   Garbiñe Muguruza   Barbora Krejčíková 7–6(8–6), 6–3
↓  WTA 500 tournament   ↓
2022   Jeļena Ostapenko   Veronika Kudermetova 6–0, 6–4
↓  WTA 1000 tournament   ↓
2023   Barbora Krejčíková   Iga Świątek 6–4, 6–2
2024   Jasmine Paolini   Anna Kalinskaya 4–6, 7–5, 7–5

Men's doubles

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Mahesh Bhupathi (1998, 2004, 2008, 2012–13) took five doubles titles at the tournament, each time with a different partner.
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  ATP Tour 250[a]  ↓
1993   John Fitzgerald
  Anders Järryd
  Grant Connell
  Patrick Galbraith
6–2, 6–1
1994   Todd Woodbridge
  Mark Woodforde
  Darren Cahill
  John Fitzgerald
6–7, 6–4, 6–2
1995   Grant Connell
  Patrick Galbraith
  Tomás Carbonell
  Francisco Roig
6–2, 4–6, 6–3
1996   Grant Connell (2)
  Byron Black
  Karel Nováček
  Jiří Novák
6–0, 6–1
1997   Sander Groen
  Goran Ivanišević
  Sandon Stolle
  Cyril Suk
7–6, 6–3
1998   Mahesh Bhupathi
  Leander Paes
  Donald Johnson
  Francisco Montana
6–2, 7–5
1999   Wayne Black
  Sandon Stolle
  David Adams
  John-Laffnie de Jager
4–6, 6–1, 6–4
2000   Jiří Novák
  David Rikl
  Robbie Koenig
  Peter Tramacchi
6–2, 7–5
↓  ATP Tour 500[b]  ↓
2001   Joshua Eagle
  Sandon Stolle (2)
  Daniel Nestor
  Nenad Zimonjić
6–4, 6–4
2002   Mark Knowles
  Daniel Nestor
  Joshua Eagle
  Sandon Stolle
3–6, 6–3, [13–11]
2003   Leander Paes
  David Rikl (2)
  Wayne Black
  Kevin Ullyett
6–3, 6–0
2004   Mahesh Bhupathi (2)
  Fabrice Santoro
  Jonas Björkman
  Leander Paes
6–2, 4–6, 6–4
2005   Martin Damm
  Radek Štěpánek
  Jonas Björkman
  Fabrice Santoro
6–2, 6–4
2006   Paul Hanley
  Kevin Ullyett
  Mark Knowles
  Daniel Nestor
1–6, 6–2, [10–1]
2007   Fabrice Santoro (2)
  Nenad Zimonjić
  Mahesh Bhupathi
  Radek Štěpánek
7–5, 6–7(3–7), [10–7]
2008   Mahesh Bhupathi (3)
  Mark Knowles (2)
  Martin Damm
  Pavel Vízner
7–5, 7–6(9–7)
2009   Rik de Voest
  Dmitry Tursunov
  Martin Damm
  Robert Lindstedt
4–6, 6–3, [10–5]
2010   Simon Aspelin
  Paul Hanley
  Lukáš Dlouhý
  Leander Paes
6–2, 6–3
2011   Sergiy Stakhovsky
  Mikhail Youzhny
  Jérémy Chardy
  Feliciano López
4–6, 6–3, [10–3]
2012   Mahesh Bhupathi (4)
  Rohan Bopanna
  Mariusz Fyrstenberg
  Marcin Matkowski
6–4, 3–6, [10–5]
2013   Mahesh Bhupathi (5)
  Michaël Llodra
  Robert Lindstedt
  Nenad Zimonjić
7–6(8–6), 7–6(8–6)
2014   Rohan Bopanna (2)
  Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi
  Daniel Nestor
  Nenad Zimonjić
6–4, 6–3
2015   Rohan Bopanna (3)
  Daniel Nestor (2)
  Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi
  Nenad Zimonjić
6–4, 6–1
2016   Simone Bolelli
  Andreas Seppi
  Feliciano López
  Marc López
6–2, 3–6, [14–12]
2017   Jean-Julien Rojer
  Horia Tecău
  Rohan Bopanna
  Marcin Matkowski
4–6, 6–3, [10–3]
2018   Jean-Julien Rojer (2)
  Horia Tecău (2)
  James Cerretani
  Leander Paes
6–2, 7–6(7–2)
2019   Rajeev Ram
  Joe Salisbury
  Ben McLachlan
  Jan-Lennard Struff
7–6(7–4), 6–3
2020   John Peers
  Michael Venus
  Raven Klaasen
  Oliver Marach
6–3, 6–2
2021   Juan Sebastián Cabal
  Robert Farah
  Nikola Mektić
  Mate Pavić
7–6(7–0), 7–6(7–4)
2022   Tim Pütz
  Michael Venus
  Nikola Mektić
  Mate Pavić
6–3, 6–7(5–7), [16–14]
2023   Maxime Cressy
  Fabrice Martin
  Lloyd Glasspool
  Harri Heliövaara
7–6(7–2), 6–4
2024   Tallon Griekspoor
  Jan-Lennard Struff
  Ivan Dodig
  Austin Krajicek
6–4, 4–6, [10–6]

Women's doubles

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Liezel Huber (2007–09, 2011–12) is the most successful player in women's doubles, with five titles in Dubai.
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2001   Yayuk Basuki
  Caroline Vis
  Åsa Svensson
  Karina Habšudová
6–0, 4–6, 6–2
2002   Barbara Rittner
  María Vento-Kabchi
  Sandrine Testud
  Roberta Vinci
6–3, 6–2
2003   Svetlana Kuznetsova
  Martina Navratilova
  Cara Black
  Elena Likhovtseva
6–3, 7–6(9–7)
2004   Janette Husárová
  Conchita Martínez
  Svetlana Kuznetsova
  Elena Likhovtseva
6–0, 1–6, 6–3
2005   Virginia Ruano Pascual
  Paola Suárez
  Svetlana Kuznetsova
  Alicia Molik
6–7(7–9), 6–2, 6–1
2006   Květa Peschke
  Francesca Schiavone
  Svetlana Kuznetsova
  Nadia Petrova
3–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–3
2007   Cara Black
  Liezel Huber
  Svetlana Kuznetsova
  Alicia Molik
7–6(8–6), 6–4
2008   Cara Black (2)
  Liezel Huber (2)
  Zheng Jie
  Yan Zi
7–5, 6–2
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2009   Cara Black (3)
  Liezel Huber (3)
  Maria Kirilenko
  Agnieszka Radwańska
6–3, 6–3
2010   Nuria Llagostera Vives
  María José Martínez Sánchez
  Květa Peschke
  Katarina Srebotnik
7–6(7–5), 6–4
2011   Liezel Huber (4)
  María José Martínez Sánchez (2)
  Květa Peschke
  Katarina Srebotnik
7–6(7–5), 6–3
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2012   Liezel Huber (5)
  Lisa Raymond
  Sania Mirza
  Elena Vesnina
6–2, 6–1
2013   Bethanie Mattek-Sands
  Sania Mirza
  Nadia Petrova
  Katarina Srebotnik
6–4, 2–6, [10–7]
2014   Alla Kudryavtseva
  Anastasia Rodionova
  Raquel Kops-Jones
  Abigail Spears
6–2, 5–7, [10–8]
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2015   Tímea Babos
  Kristina Mladenovic
  Garbiñe Muguruza
  Carla Suárez Navarro
6–3, 6–2
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2016   Chuang Chia-jung
  Darija Jurak
  Caroline Garcia
  Kristina Mladenovic
6–4, 6–4
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2017   Ekaterina Makarova
  Elena Vesnina
  Andrea Hlaváčková
  Peng Shuai
6–2, 4–6, [10–7]
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2018   Chan Hao-ching
  Yang Zhaoxuan
  Hsieh Su-wei

  Peng Shuai

4–6, 6–2, [10–6]
↓  Premier 5 tournament   ↓
2019   Hsieh Su-wei
  Barbora Strýcová
  Lucie Hradecká
  Ekaterina Makarova
6–4, 6–4
↓  Premier tournament   ↓
2020   Hsieh Su-wei (2)
  Barbora Strýcová (2)
  Barbora Krejčíková
  Zheng Saisai
7–5, 3–6, [10–5]
↓  WTA 1000 tournament   ↓
2021   Alexa Guarachi
  Darija Jurak (2)
  Xu Yifan
  Yang Zhaoxuan
6–0, 6–3
↓  WTA 500 tournament   ↓
2022   Veronika Kudermetova
  Elise Mertens
  Lyudmyla Kichenok
  Jeļena Ostapenko
6–1, 6–3
↓  WTA 1000 tournament   ↓
2023   Veronika Kudermetova (2)
  Liudmila Samsonova
  Chan Hao-ching
  Latisha Chan
6–4, 6–7(4–7), [10–1]
2024   Storm Hunter
  Kateřina Siniaková
  Nicole Melichar-Martinez
  Ellen Perez
6–4, 6–2

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Known as World Series from 1990 till 1999. International Series from 2000 till 2008.
  2. ^ a b Known as International Series Gold from 2000 till 2008.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Scaffold stands, creaking boards, and wrong-facing courts: The inaugural Dubai Tennis Championships". The National. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  2. ^ "Dubaï, nouveau hub du sport mondial". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  3. ^ "Dubai faces censure over Peer ban". BBC Sport. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  4. ^ Mondays With Bob Greene: We do not wish to politicize sports Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1242212395267&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Dubai given record fine over Peer". BBC News. February 20, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  7. ^ "WTA fines Dubai; Roddick withdraws". ESPN. 20 February 2009.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Kitzbühel
ATP International Series Tournament of the Year
1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Favorite WTA Tier I – II Tournament
2001, 2002
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Kitzbühel
Acapulco
ATP World Tour 500 Tournament of the Year
20032006
20082014
Succeeded by

25°14′34.33″N 55°20′33″E / 25.2428694°N 55.34250°E / 25.2428694; 55.34250