Dubai Championships: Medvedev beats Shang; Tsitsipas slips out of top 40 for first time in eight years

Daniil Medvedev will next meet a fellow former Grand Slam champion when he faces 40-year-old Stanislas Wawlinka in the round of 16 of the tournament.

A week after beating the Chinese World No. 262, Shang Juncheng, in Doha, Daniil Medvedev prevailed against him again, with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in his opening match in the 500-level event in the UAE.

After the victory, Medvedev said he would like to see more compulsory events in the calendar, but for ranking points only to be attributed to Masters-level events and Grand Slams in order to convince players to enter fewer tournaments.

Medvedev will next meet a fellow former Grand Slam champion when he faces 40-year-old Stanislas Wawlinka in the round of 16.

Elsewhere in Dubai, second seed Alexander Bublik defeated lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4.

Former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated in straight sets by Ugo Humbert, while Jiri Lehecka won 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 against Luca Nardi. The result means Tsitsipas will fall out of the top 40 of men’s singles ratings for the first time since in eight years.

Rising star Jakub Mensik downed Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) to advance to the round of 16.

Daniil Medvedev beat Shang Juncheng on Tuesday to reach the last 16 of the Dubai Open but urged tour organizers to limit ranking points to only the most prestigious events to reduce player workload.

A week after beating the Chinese world number 262 in Doha, Medvedev again faced Shang and won 6–1, 6–3 in his opening match in the 500-level event in the UAE.

After the victory, Medvedev said he would like to see more mandatory events in the calendar, but for ranking points only to be attributed to Masters-level events and Grand Slams in order to convince players to enter fewer tournaments.

“I would think the players would agree, from what I’m hearing, to making… even more mandatory tournaments,” the 11th-ranked Russian told reporters.

“I would say make four Grand Slams, I don’t know, 11 Masters, and that’s it. The other tournaments, maybe make them without points or something.”

The 2021 US Open winner said that the chase for points to climb the rankings and reach the ATP Finals reserved for the top eight in the world causes players to increase their workload, sometimes to the disadvantage of their bodies.

“What happens is last year, Holger got injured in Stockholm, everybody was like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t have to play it’. If he wants to be in Turin, he has to, even if it’s not a mandatory tournament,” said Medvedev.

“Last year, I played in seven tournaments in a row. Did I have to? No. I played bad in the beginning of the year, maybe I can get 100 points here, 200 points here, be higher seeded next year.

“If there would be no points there, at least it is an easier decision. But it’s not going to happen.”

Elsewhere in Dubai, second seed Alexander Bublik defeated lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round.

Former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated in straight sets by Ugo Humbert, while Jiri Lehecka won 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 against Luca Nardi.

During his post-match press conference,Medvedev was asked to pinpoint what tennis fans still do not understand about being a professional tennis player.

Medvedev responded: “Yeah, that’s a very good question because I think, first of all, it’s very complex, right? In general, let’s say doesn’t matter sportsman or not, tennis player or not, what’s very tough for people, me as well, is to put yourself in somebody’s shoes. That’s very tough.

“Of course, what people first see is we’re playing in front of thousands of people, we’re getting good money, especially those of course in the top 50 and top 100. And the first thought is like, Okay, why are they complaining at all? Like, they shouldn’t.

It’s the same in every sport.

“Then, of course, what people don’t see, it’s not the pressure. Pressure, everyone has it. For example, if we speak about tennis, it’s the toll the travel plus competition brings on you.

“Even meaning, coming from Doha to Dubai, it’s very short. The balls are different, the courts are different. Let’s say stupid things. The hotel is different, the bed is different, the pillow is different.

“That all is a little bit tough for your body. You don’t feel it, like, constantly. But imagine doing this 40 times a year, and we do.

“The time change and of course the food change. The food in every country’s different, in every site. All of this would be easy to handle if you wouldn’t have a match to play the next day against an opponent that wants to win as much as you. And if you don’t win, you lose and you feel I am bad.

I think that’s what people don’t exactly understand about tennis, and that is why sometimes upsets happen. Like you can come somewhere, you are never going to tell it to someone, but you got food poisoning, which is not that big to retire, but big enough to make you in a bad shape.

“You’re going to lose a match. Everyone is going to be like, What the hell? You are just food poisoning. I think that’s what’s tough in tennis, the travel, plus willingness to win and stuff like this.”

Medvedev is set to play Stan Wawrinka later on Wednesday. Medvedev has a 3–2 record against the Swiss star, last beating Wawrinka at the 2025 Rotterdam Open.

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