Rublev Reigns Again In Doha After Beating Draper, Ends Two-Time Title Wait
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Andrey Rublev proved to be the best player at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha after beating Jack Draper in the final of the ATP 500 event.
Rublev hasn't played his best tennis in recent months. That's one of the reasons why he fell to the lowest spot in the ATP Rankings since 2022. The Russian player was ranked 10th ahead of the 2025 Qatar Open.
But he found a great level in Doha. It's one of the 16 places where he was able to triumph before, and before the final match in Qatar, he never managed to win a title twice at the same venue.
He wanted to end that wait against Draper. The British player, on the other hand, could have won his second ATP 500 career title and also come very close to a Top 10 debut with a win in the final.
The match was incredibly close. In the first set, both players held their serve without any signs of issues. After both lost two points on their first serve, they lost a combined total of three points on serve in the following nine games.
The scoreboard showed 6-5 for Rublev, and with Draper's serving qualities, there wasn't any doubt that the streak of easy service holds would continue and the first set would have to be decided in a tie-break.
But that didn't happen. The 23-year-old Brit fell 0-40 behind, and he had an incredibly difficult time digging himself out of that hole. He saved two set points, but Rublev used the third one to win the first set 7-5.
Both players had a chance to break in the early stages of the second set, but again, they managed to get to 5-all without any breaks. The set was again decided in the closing stages, but this time, it was Draper who was the better player.
The Brit won 12 of the last 15 points to come back from 4-5 down and win the second set 7-5, forcing a decider. Fans were excited ahead of the third set, seeing the first two sets of this final, but they didn't get the show they wanted.
Rublev took matters into his own hands. He broke Draper's serve twice and easily cruised to a win. The Russian player won the match 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to lift his 17th career title and second in Doha, which became the first city that saw him triumph twice.
Rublev joined his young friend Mirra Andreeva in the champions' circle. The teenager became the youngest WTA 1000 winner ever, and the two Russian players will have many reasons to celebrate.
The 27-year-old player didn't hide his emotions after winning the title in Doha. He also showed plenty of respect for his opponent during his speech.
"It feels great. It was a lot of tough battles. It feels great I was able to go through and somehow win them. Bad luck and an amazing week for Jack and his team."
"I really like Jack as a person, and I really like his game. He has a really really great career and future ahead. He will win many great things. Keep working man. You deserve everything."
Both players will now travel to Dubai, where they are set to compete in another ATP 500 event. After that, they will move to the United States for the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami.
