Medvedev Crowned Dubai Champion After Griekspoor Withdraws on Unsettling Final Day

Daniil Medvedev was crowned champion of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after Tallon Griekspoor withdrew from the scheduled final. The abrupt finish followed an intense semifinal in which Griekspoor advanced despite a hamstring problem, and came amid wider disruption at the venue tied to reports of air strikes that left fans and participants unsettled.

Medvedev awarded title as final did not proceed

The Dubai singles final had been slated to pit Medvedev against Tallon Griekspoor, but Griekspoor withdrew ahead of the match. With the final unable to be contested, Medvedev was crowned champion. The win marks a notable repeat at this tournament for Medvedev, who achieved the rare feat of winning the same event for a second time and owns 22 career titles.

Griekspoor’s hamstring battle and Dubai semifinal

Tallon Griekspoor reached the final after overcoming a mid-match hamstring injury in the semifinal against Andrey Rublev, winning in straight sets 7-5, 7-6. The match featured a medical time-out and visible treatment for Griekspoor’s hamstring, and observers noted the Dutchman was limping as he advanced. That victory set up the postponed final showdown that ultimately did not take place.

Unsettling final day: schedule, safety concerns and sparse crowds

The final had been scheduled for 10: 00 AM ET. On match day, reports of air strikes in Dubai created immediate uncertainty at the site, with people fleeing parts of the area. The day’s doubles final proceeded but with noticeably few fans in the stands. Organizers and players faced an atypical, tense environment as the event wound down.

Immediate implications and what’s next for the tour

• Championship outcome: Medvedev is the titled champion after the final did not go ahead.
• Player welfare: Griekspoor’s hamstring issue and his visible limping are central to his withdrawal from the final.
• Event disruption: Air strike reports and the resulting local reactions reduced attendance and altered the atmosphere for finals day.
• Road ahead: The ATP and WTA Tours will move on to the next major events on the calendar, with Indian Wells and Miami named as the upcoming joint 1000-level tournaments that follow Dubai.

Details around travel and safety for players leaving the region were highlighted as a concern given the circumstances, and the situation remains one that tournament planners and competitors will monitor closely. Recent developments indicate key elements of the final day—an injury-forced withdrawal, a champion declared without a match, and security-related disturbance—combined to produce an unsettling close to the tournament.

The record from Dubai will stand with Medvedev as champion and Griekspoor listed as a late withdrawal from the final after a hard-fought semifinal triumph that was impacted by a hamstring injury. Schedule notes and travel plans for the tour will continue to be subject to change as the circuit moves toward the next events.