DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Stefanos Tsitsipas stands between Felix Auger-Aliassime and a tour-leading third title this year at the Dubai Championships.

They will meet for the 10th time on tour in the final on Saturday. Tsitsipas leads 6-3 overall and has dominated their matchups since 2020 but they are 1-1 in finals.

If Tsitsipas wins against Auger-Aliassime in Saturday’s final, he will return to the top 10 for the first time since June.

No. 11-ranked Tsitsipas beat No. 47 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-4 without offering a break point in their semifinal on Friday.

“I feel extremely happy that I was able to avoid the drama today, and play good tennis,” Tsitsipas said after reaching his first hard-court final since 2023.

Appearing in Dubai for the first time since 2020, the Greek has achieved three consecutive Dubai finals. He fell in the deciders to Roger Federer in 2019 and Novak Djokovic in 2020.

No. 21 Auger-Aliassime overcame French qualifier and No. 77 Quentin Halys 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 for the second time in two weeks.

The Canadian has played four sets in every match this week, and turned this one midway through the second when he scrambled to a smash by Halys and flicked a cross-court winner to set up break point. He converted and dominated the rest of the way.

“We were both feeling a bit tired I think,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It was just (about) having positive self talk. When we’re having a tough day, just to have a pep talk and stay positive. I did that well and dug deep physically.”

He has already won in Adelaide and Montpellier this year and advanced to a third final in a season for the first time since 2022.

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• D’Arcy Maine

Feb 28, 2025, 09:53 AM ET

Three days after losing in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Tommy Paul was back at his home in Boca Raton, Florida, trying to sleep off jet lag and the agony of defeat.

He had his chances in the match against Alexander Zverev, including during the first two sets in which he dropped both in tiebreaks, but he ultimately lost 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. His dreams of reaching his second career major semifinal with a chance to secure a spot in his first Grand Slam final were dashed.

So while Zverev was battling Novak Djokovic in Rod Laver Arena for a place in the Australian Open final, Paul was deep in slumber some 9,700 miles away. That is, until his girlfriend, influencer Paige Lorenze, woke him up at 4 a.m.

“She wakes me up to tell me that Novak pulled out in the semis [with injury] after a set and I was like, ‘Wow, are you kidding me?'” Paul told ESPN while laughing. “It sucked. I was like, ‘You really had to wake me up at 4 to tell me that?’ I wouldn’t say it made me think, ‘What if?’ but more like a ‘If I would have.'”

But now, just over a month later, that disappointment and the realization of how close he was to a lifelong goal have only further fueled Paul. He won three tour titles in 2024 and cracked the top 10 of the rankings for the first time in his career after his run in Melbourne. With a career that has been defined by hard work and steady progress, the 27-year-old knows he’s capable of even more.

Paul was painfully aware as soon as he walked off the court against Zverev of where he could improve — starting with his first serve — but the loss also provided a valuable lesson that he believes could help down the road, whenever that next big opportunity arises.

“In a way, I lost that match against Zverev, but also Zverev won that match, and I’ve got to find a way to win that match,” Paul said. “I don’t want to get results from people losing the match to me. I want to go out there and win those. And I mean, that’s what you have to do in these late rounds against great players, you have to win them. Nobody’s going to give you those matches. So that’s what I didn’t do and that’s what I need to correct.”

Paul, currently the second-highest ranked American at No. 10, is not the type of player to sit around and mope after a tough defeat, according to his longtime coach Brad Stine.

“There are some guys who it almost feels like a funeral for two days every time they lose, but Tommy is not a doom-and-gloom type of guy,” Stine told ESPN. “Within 20 minutes or so, we’re having a beer and hashing over some of the different stuff that we’re looking at. [We’re] talking about the situation and examining where we are, what we can take from that and how we can apply it to the next time he’s on court.”

Paul’s positive demeanor and willingness to learn were part of what drew Stine to him over five years ago when they began working together ahead of the 2020 season. At that point, Paul, the 2015 junior French Open champion, was ranked No. 90 and was winless in his three career major main draw appearances. But Stine, who spent years coaching former world No. 1 Jim Courier and looks for opportunities in which he can be with a player until the end of their career, saw something in Paul. Stine put together a five-year plan of what they wanted to achieve, and a list of 11 things he wanted Paul to add, remove or change about his game, and Paul got to work.

Weeks later, Paul reached the third round at the Australian Open after a win over Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 18 seed. By the end of the year, Paul had recorded the first top-10 victory of his career (coincidentally over Zverev at the Mexican Open) and made it through Stine’s list.

Paul won his first ATP title in 2021 in Stockholm, and his confidence and hunger for more continued to grow.

“Tommy said, ‘Man, I want more of this,'” Stine said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m satisfied.’ He was like, ‘That was phenomenal. What a great feeling. Let’s do that again.'”

The following season he recorded four top-10 wins, including over Rafael Nadal at the Paris Masters. His ranking continued to climb — part of the duo’s long-term objectives — and Paul had a realization during a conversation with Stine ahead of the 2023 season.

SHOT OF THE YEAR CONTENDER 🤯

Tommy Paul what have you just done 💪#DallasOpen pic.twitter.com/39RI4uk9TA

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 4, 2025

“I made a comment about him being really good and he looked at me and said, ‘Brad, I don’t want to be really good, I want to be great.'”

And while for some players that focus on greatness could be daunting, Paul’s secret to achieving it might just be the “healthy balance” he’s found in his quest to achieve it.

“Tommy does a phenomenal job of balancing that desire to be great with a good mixture of relaxation and fun and enjoyment in the competition itself,” Stine said. “He doesn’t let the idea of being top 10, top 5, become all-consuming or overwhelming. It’s rare.”

Paul opened 2023 with his first-ever major semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, becoming the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2009 to do so and subsequently making his top-20 debut. The rest of the season was filled with several other firsts, including reaching a 500-level final at the Mexican Open and defeating Carlos Alcaraz, then the world No. 1.

Even when his ranking didn’t exactly reflect a contender status, Paul has always believed he could win tournaments. In 2024 he claimed his biggest title to date at the 500-level Queen’s Club Championships, in addition to the 250-level Dallas Open and winning again in Stockholm. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time and earned an Olympic bronze medal alongside friend Taylor Fritz in doubles.

“Every tournament I go to, I want to win it,” Paul said. “I think if you’re showing up to the tournament without the idea of trying to win the tournament in your head, then why even go to the tournament? But that being said, I really feel like I show up to tournaments now and I don’t want to say, ‘think I should,’ but I go there and look at it more as a mission. Like, ‘All right, let’s get through the first couple rounds trying to save the body and then put your body on the line late in the tournament, and try and get this title here.’ I have a lot more confidence in myself going into tournaments now.”

Paul began dealing with the effects of a small muscle tear in his shoulder in Australia, and the discomfort continued during his title defense in Dallas this month. After losing in the semifinals, Paul withdrew from the Delray Beach Open the following week. While disappointing because the tournament is just minutes from his home in Boca Raton, with family and friends hoping to attend, Paul knew he needed the rest to be ready for the remainder of the spring hard-court season. The other upside: It meant he was able to enjoy watching the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl from home, without having to worry about his own tournament preparation. Paul said he was thrilled it was a rout from start to finish. “I loved that it was a beatdown. I would much rather it that way than a close one.”

On Wednesday, Paul, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud withdrew from the Mexican Open, citing stomach illness. Paul had been slated to participate in the star-studded MGM Rewards Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday alongside Fritz, Zverev and Ruud, but that has since been postponed.

Paul will now look to improve on his semifinal run at Indian Wells in 2024 and potentially earn valuable ranking points at the Miami Open after retiring from his opening-round match last season with an ankle injury.

Paul credits Stine and the rest of his team for helping push him on a daily basis. He considers them “like family,” and continues to be proud of their collective loyalty to one another.

“We work together really well,” he said. “Whether it’s in group chats or just kind of shooting the s—, we’re talking every single day. It’s an awesome group of guys.”

The 2025 Australian Open marked Paul’s third Slam quarterfinal appearance. While he’s buoyed by his good run to start the year, reaching the final eight is no longer a milestone, but a steppingstone on the path to his ultimate dream: winning a major. He knew he could potentially reach the top 10 at the event leading in, but it wasn’t something he focused on, and, while exciting, is also simply part of that journey.

“I wish I could tell you something huge changed for me [when I made the top 10],” Paul said. “I’m doing the same stuff every day that I did three weeks ago. I’m still waking up and going to practice, still waking up and training and doing body work with my physio. Everything’s really the same. The only thing that’s changed is my goals.

“Now I have a new goal, which is top five. And to do that, you got to win tournaments. You got to go to Masters 1000s with holding the trophy at the end of the week in your head. Those are my goals now. “

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Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu will compete at Indian Wells, California, next week in her first tour appearance since Dubai, where a man exhibited “fixated behavior” toward her and was removed from the stands during her match, British media reported.

The BBC and Sky Sports reported that Raducanu will be given extra security at Indian Wells, which runs from March 5-16.

Reuters has contacted organizers for comment.

Briton Raducanu looked distressed in her second-round match against Karolina Muchova in the Dubai Championships last week, and stood behind the umpire’s chair while the man was led out by security personnel.

She eventually resumed the match and fought back from 4-0 down to force a tiebreak before losing 7-6 (6) 6-4.

Dubai police detained the man following Raducanu’s complaint, but the player later decided to drop the charges.

The governing body of women’s tennis, the WTA, banned the man from all of its tournaments and said it would work with Raducanu and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any support needed.

Raducanu has struggled with form and fitness issues since her 2021 US Open win and sits 55th in the rankings.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tallon Griekspoor saved four match points before beating top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 to reach the semifinals at the Dubai Championships on Thursday.

“When I won the second set, I was actually thinking ‘how am I even still in this tournament?’ I probably should have been on the plane to Indian Wells already,” said the Dutchman, ranked No. 47. “Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit lucky.”

Griekspoor had survived a first-round encounter with Roman Safiullin by saving three match points. He then eliminated defending champion Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.

“It’s my best win by ranking,” Griekspoor said after his quarterfinal victory over No. 6 Medvedev. “Just very pleased with this win. It means a lot.”

Griekspoor will meet fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas for a shot at the title. Tsitsipas beat Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4.

Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to set up a semifinal against qualifier Quentin Halys, who eliminated Luca Nardi 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

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LONDON — The nomination of Jannik Sinner for the Laureus sportsman of the year award was withdrawn Thursday because of the top-ranked tennis player’s three-month ban for his two positive doping tests nearly a year ago.

Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Sean Fitzpatrick said in a statement that the Italian player’s ban resulting from a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency prompted the decision.

“Following discussions by the Laureus Academy it has been decided that Jannik Sinner’s nomination for this year’s Laureus world sportsman of the year award is to be withdrawn,” Fitzpatrick said.

“We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and – whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved – feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible. Jannik and his team have been informed.”

Sinner and WADA announced the settlement on Feb. 15.

WADA, which had sought to ban the three-time Grand Slam champion from the sport for at least one year, had challenged a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency not to suspend Sinner for what the ITIA judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid last March.

Sinner’s explanation — that trace amounts of Clostebol in his doping sample was due to a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger — had been accepted.

The timing means the 23-year-old Italian won’t miss any Grand Slam tournaments. The French Open, the season’s next major, starts May 25.

Last year, Novak Djokovic won the Laureus sportsman of the year award for 2023, and Spanish soccer star Aitana Bonmatí was picked as the best sportswoman.

Nominees for the upcoming awards will be announced in Madrid on Monday.

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Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis said he has undergone surgery in a bid to resolve a lingering pectoral injury.

The 28-year-old aggravated the problem in his five-set loss to Jack Draper in the second round of the Australian Open on Jan. 15. He retired injured midway through a doubles match with Nick Kyrgios the following day.

“Been struggling for a little while with this … Probably my toughest challenge to date,” Kokkinakis wrote on X with a picture of himself in a hospital bed with his right arm in a sling. “Trying to find answers to a ongoing Pec injury that I haven’t been able to fix. Let’s see how this goes. Thank you for all your ongoing support.”

Kokkinakis, who reached a career-high singles ranking of 65th in 2023, is currently 84th and has one title to his name.

He has enjoyed much more success in doubles, capturing a Grand Slam trophy with Kyrgios at the 2022 Australian Open.

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ACAPULCO, Mexico — American teenager Learner Tien beat top-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to move into the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open in Acapulco

It was his second career win over a top-five player. The 19-year-old from California defeated Daniil Medvedev (5) in the second round of the Australian Open in January when he reached the fourth round.

The left-handed Tien is the youngest player to win his first two matches against top-five opponents, and only the second American after Jimmy Connors.

Tien is next playing eighth-seeded Tomas Machac, who advanced after beating Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (3), 6-1.

In his South American matches recently, Zverev lost in the first round in Argentina and in the quarterfinals in Brazil.

The third day of play in Acapulco saw three seeded players quit with an illness. One of them was Holger Rune (4), who left his match against Brandon Nakashima down 3-0 in the first set.

Nakashima will play against David Goffin, who defeated American Ben Shelton 7-6 (3), 6-3.

“Furious and so sad at the same time. Had a food poisoning and was unable to play today,” said Rune on X. “One of my favorite places is Mexico and I love this tournament. Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end.”

Tournament organizers have not said if the other players who retired suffered from the same ailment as Rune. Second-seeded Casper Ruud also could not play against Mexican Rodrigo Pacheco.

The other player who got sick in Acapulco was third-seeded Tommy Paul, who pulled out before his match against Marcos Giron to give his countryman a walkover.

Giron will next play Denis Shapovalov, who had a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Michelsen.

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• Associated Press

Feb 26, 2025, 04:25 PM ET

LAS VEGAS — With Jannik Sinner serving a doping suspension, and Taylor Fritz‘s status uncertain because of an injured abdominal muscle, the men’s tennis exhibition event scheduled for Sunday in Las Vegas has been postponed.

No new date was announced Wednesday.

The exhibition match between current No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and former No. 1 Naomi Osaka is still planned for Saturday.

Sinner was dropped from the MGM Rewards Slam last Thursday — after accepting a three-month ban as part of a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency — and replaced in the lineup by Casper Ruud. Then Fritz pulled out of this week’s tournament in Acapulco.

Tommy Paul also was slated to participate.

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• ESPN News Services

Feb 25, 2025, 10:43 PM ET

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has withdrawn from next month’s tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami because of a back injury that has kept her out of action since November.

The world No. 16, a surprise champion at the All England Club last year, sustained the injury during the Tour’s Asian swing of tournaments and appeared hampered by it at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she reached the semifinals.

The 29-year-old Czech skipped the Australian Open in January, saying she needed more time for her injury to heal.

Austria’s Julia Grabher will take Krejcikova’s place in the main draw at the BNP Paribas Open, which begins March 5.

The Miami Open kicks off March 18.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Third-seeded Andrey Rublev followed up his Qatar Open title with a first-round exit at the Dubai Championships, losing to qualifier Quentin Halys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Tuesday.

For the 77th-ranked Halys, who next faces Roberto Bautista Agut, it was his first victory over a top-10 opponent.

“At the moment, it’s a bit hard to comprehend,” the 28-year-old Frenchman said. “Mentally, it was a very difficult match. Andrey is maybe tired from his week in Doha. Beating a top-10 (opponent) is a significant moment in your career. I’m happy it happened today.”

The ninth-ranked Rublev had won the Dubai title in 2022. On Saturday, he beat Jack Draper to win the Qatar Open.

Also Tuesday, top-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 7-6 (4) and will next face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Second-seeded Alex de Minaur lost to 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Nuno Borges eliminated eighth-seeded Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-1.

Other winners Tuesday included fifth-seeded Ugo Humbert, Matteo Berrettini, Felix Auger-Aliassime and qualifier Christopher O’Connell.

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