Daniil Medvedev won the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships without playing the final, as opponent Tallon Griekspoor withdrew due to a left hamstring injury. The walkover victory marked Medvedev's second title in Dubai and 23rd career crown. The event unfolded amid regional tensions that led to the closure of UAE airspace.
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reached an abrupt conclusion on February 28 when Tallon Griekspoor withdrew from the final against Daniil Medvedev due to a left hamstring injury sustained during his semifinal win over Andrey Rublev the previous day.
Griekspoor had fought through pain to defeat Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6), saving break points and serving aces to secure the victory despite discomfort that began at 5-all in the first set. He took a medical timeout and received treatment but pushed on to reach his first ATP 500 final. However, scans on Saturday morning revealed a serious issue, sidelining him for weeks. "I have been better, that's for sure," Griekspoor said during the trophy ceremony. "Unfortunately, I hurt myself during the semi-finals. I went to the hospital this morning and had a couple of scans, which showed something serious."
Medvedev, the third seed, advanced to the final undefeated in sets, with wins over Juncheng Shang (6-1, 6-3), Stan Wawrinka (6-2, 6-3), Jenson Brooksby (6-2, 6-1), and top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-4, 6-2). This marked his 23rd tour-level title and second of the season after Brisbane in January. It was also his first repeat victory at the same event, having won in Dubai in 2023. The Russian now ties Jannik Sinner for the second-most hard-court titles among active players with 21, behind Novak Djokovic's 72.
Medvedev expressed disappointment at the circumstances. On X, he wrote: "Not how I want to win a final. Hoping the injury for @Griekii is not too bad and wishing him a speedy recovery." In comments to Punto de Break, he added: "I can’t do anything about it... I played incredibly all week, so I was very eager to reach the final and try to play even better."
The final was scheduled despite Iranian ballistic missile attacks on the UAE, intercepted by air defenses. UAE airspace closed at 1 p.m. as a precaution, suspending flights from Dubai International Airport near the venue. The doubles final proceeded, with Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten defeating Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo 7-5, 7-5.
Griekspoor, seeking his fourth ATP title, had earlier beaten Otto Virtanen (6-3, 6-4), Alexander Bublik (6-3, 7-6(4)), and Jakub Mensik (6-3, 3-6, 6-2). The pair's only prior meeting was in Dubai 2025, where Griekspoor won 2-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, saving four match points.
Medvedev, ranked No. 11, is 45 points from re-entering the top 10 and heads to Indian Wells, where he defends semifinal points from last year.
