MELBOURNE, Australia: A relentless Russia crushed Italy 2-0 to win their maiden ATP Cup Sunday with Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in red-hot form leading into the Australian Open.
Russia were the only nation in the 12-team event to boast two top 10 players and they had swept past Japan, Argentina and Germany en route to the decider.
Italy faced the same juggernaut on Rod Laver Arena, with Rublev destroying Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2 in just 61 minutes before Medvedev overpowered Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-2 in 79 minutes.
“Such a pleasure to be part of this team,” said Russia captain Evgeny Donskoy. “It’s not a tough job to be captain of such a strong team.”
World number four Medvedev and eighth-ranked Rublev have been the two hottest players on tour since last year’s US Open.
Medvedev is now on a career-long win streak of 14 matches, including his third ATP Masters title in Paris and victory at the season-ending ATP Tour Finals, with 10 of those victories over top 10 opponents.
Rublev has been equally impressive, winning five ATP titles in a breakthrough 2020, more than anyone else, as he raced up the rankings.
He ended his season by beating world number three Dominic Thiem at the ATP Finals and has started 2021 with four straight wins at the ATP Cup, dropping just one set, to make him a contender at the Australian Open.
His sizzling form extended to world number 17 Fognini, who went into the match with a 5-1 record against the Russian but was blown away.
Rublev dominated with his forehand and lost just seven service points in the entire match.
“I was playing really well all week since the first match and I was just going on court thinking that I needed to fight for every ball,” said Rublev.
“I knew it didn’t matter the score, he always has a chance. He always knows how to come back, so I was trying to keep going no matter the score.”
Medvedev faced a tougher assignment against Berrettini, the world number 10 who has also been in prime early season form, winning all his matches before meeting the Russian, including against world number three Dominic Thiem.
The 24-year-olds had only met once before, in 2018, when Medvedev won, and he took an early break in the opening set to go 3-1 ahead, holding on to serve out the set.
It followed a similar pattern in the second set with the machine-like Medvedev raising his game to another level to grind down Berrettini.
Serbia beat Spain in the final of the inaugural and hugely popular tournament last year in Sydney — launched as a rival to the Davis Cup.
It has been slimmed down from 24 teams to 12 this year due to the coronavirus over five days at Melbourne Park with $7.5 million at stake, rather than the multi-city format employed in 2020.
Medvedev, Rublev fire Russia to maiden ATP Cup victory
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Medvedev, Rublev fire Russia to maiden ATP Cup victory
- Russia were the only nation in the 12-team event to boast two top 10 players and they had swept past Japan, Argentina and Germany en route to the decider
World’s top 20 confirmed for Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
- Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and defending champion Mirra Andreeva headline the 26th premier women’s tournament
- WTA 1000 event runs from Feb. 15-21, followed by the 34th ATP 500 tournament from Feb. 23-28
DUBAI: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships returns in 2026 with one of the strongest WTA 1000 line-ups in its history, featuring all of the world’s top 20 players for the Women’s Week from Feb. 15-21.
The 2026 field features a complete set of top-ranked stars, including World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, World No. 3 Coco Gauff, and World No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, alongside Elena Rybakina (No. 5), Jessica Pegula (No. 6), Jasmine Paolini (No. 7), 2025 champion Mirra Andreeva (No. 8), Madison Keys (No. 9) and Belinda Bencic (No. 10).
Leading the charge is Sabalenka, who returns to Dubai after a standout 2025 season highlighted by her US Open triumph, where the Belarusian claimed her fourth career Grand Slam title and secured a second consecutive win in New York. Reinforcing her position at the top of the women’s game, Sabalenka has started the 2026 season in fine form by retaining her title at the Brisbane International without dropping a set.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek also returns following another exceptional season in which the Polish star captured the 2025 Wimbledon title and reached multiple WTA 1000 finals, finishing the year with one of the highest win percentages on tour.
Joining them is Gauff, who enjoyed a defining 2025 campaign with her French Open victory, the second Grand Slam title of her career and first on clay. The American 21-year-old also added a Masters 1000 trophy in Cincinnati and reached the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and US Open grand slams, closing the year inside the top three for the first time.
Defending champion Andreeva had a breakthrough season in 2025, which saw her secure a historic triumph in Dubai, making her the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history. The 18-year-old Russian followed that success with two Grand Slam quarter-finals and a rapid rise into the world’s top 15. She arrives in Dubai looking to defend the title that launched her onto the global stage.
“We are delighted to welcome all of the top 20 women’s players once again,” said Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free and chairman of the organising committee. “The depth of talent committed for 2026 reflects the status of this event on the global tennis calendar. Dubai has become an essential stop for the world’s best players, and we look forward to another exceptional week of world-class tennis.”
The line-up also includes talents such as World No. 12 and two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina, as well as Canada’s World No. 17 Victoria Mboko, whose breakthrough performances propelled her into the world’s top 20 for the first time. Their presence adds further depth to a roster that cements Dubai’s position as one of the most competitive stops on the WTA calendar.
Salah Tahlak, tournament director and deputy managing director of Dubai Duty Free, said of the line-up: “Women’s tennis continues to set new standards for competitiveness and quality. With the top 20 players confirmed, spectators can expect compelling matches from the opening day. Each year our WTA event delivers incredible moments, and 2026 promises to be no different.”
The 2026 Championships will run back-to-back once again, with the women’s WTA 1000 event from Feb. 15-21 and the men’s ATP 500 tournament from Feb. 23-28.
