UNBEATABLE: MARCOS BAGHDATIS PICKS DJOKOVIC OVER FEDERER, NADAL
Marcos Baghdatis names Novak Djokovic as his ultimate challenge, saying the Serb was the only player he felt he couldn't beat.
Marcos Baghdatis says Novak Djokovic was his toughest competitor during his 16 years as a pro tennis player. Djokovic won all eight of their matches between 2007 and 2015, including a really hard-fought five-hour quarter-final match at Wimbledon.
Djokovic was just one player that Baghdatis could never beat. It's interesting because the Cypriot player did win against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back in 2010. That year, he was the only player to beat both of them while they were ranked No. 1 in the world.
That's why the 40-year-old thinks the current Olympic champion is better than the other two in the Big Three. Baghdatis mentioned to Tennis365 that he would go with Novak Djokovic because he never managed to beat him, but it's still a hard pick.
He shouted out Andy Murray as another top player, along with others, like David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka, and Tomas Berdych, as other tough opponents from his time.
Thinking back on playing Djokovic, Baghdatis said that his matches with Novak were pretty close and that's what he remembers.
He recalled one match at Indian Wells a decade ago that didn't go so well. He felt he was given a tennis lesson, as he lost 6-1, 6-2. Interestingly enough, their final match actually ended 6-1, 6-3.
Baghdatis said that he felt like Djokovic taught him a lesson that day, which he never felt when he played Roger or Rafa.
He said that even when he was younger and played Roger, he always felt like he could win next time. But with Novak, he didn't have that feeling, especially after that match.
Earlier this year, Baghdatis mentioned to Tennishead that playing against Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Nadal kind of messed up his career. Because they were always in the finals.
He said it was tough but also a privilege to share the court with some of the greatest players ever, especially Novak.
Baghdatis said that when he played against Djokovic, he felt like there was no way to win. He felt that Rafa and Roger would leave an opening but would close it when it mattered most. When he beat them in 2010, they questioned what had changed. He responded by saying that stuff happens.
After Djokovic beat Baghdatis in the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2009, he said, during an interview, that they are Orthodox brothers, referring to the Christian church.
DUBAI OPENER: TOP SEED FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME SURVIVES TENSE TIE-BREAK AGAINST ZHIZHEN ZHANG
Dubai Day 1: Discover how Felix Auger-Aliassime survived a tense tie-break, and Jack Draper made a winning return to the ATP tour.
Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper both made it through to the next round at the Dubai Duty Free ATP 500 Tennis Championships, which kicked off today.
Auger-Aliassime had to dig deep against China’s Zhizhen Zhang, coming out on top 6-3, 7-6 after a match that lasted just under two hours. He grabbed an early break in the first set, but the second set was a battle. He had six chances to close it out before finally getting over the line in a tense tiebreak. Relief was written all over his face as he left the court, stopping to sign loads of autographs for the fans who stuck around.
“I stopped counting the match points at some point; it was getting too frustrating,” Auger-Aliassime admitted afterwards. “As a player, you want to be in that position, but your mind plays tricks. I kept thinking, ‘I’m so much further from losing than he is; he should be the one who’s nervous.’ I just told myself, ‘If it goes to a third set, I’ll be ready.’”
Draper, back on the ATP tour after six months away, looked a bit off at the start and had to save a bunch of break points early on. But he settled in and took down Quentin Halys, a qualifier, 7-6, 6-3.
The British No. 1 had a tense moment at 4-5 in the first set, going to deuce three times before holding serve. He got two break points in the next game but couldn’t capitalise. In the tie-break, Draper shot ahead 5-2, lost his lead, but finally edged it out 10-8.
Asked how it felt to be back, Draper said, “It feels so good. Honestly, just being out here in front of a crowd, playing a tough opponent, it was tricky out there. Sure, I could’ve played a bit cleaner, but I haven’t been on tour for a while, so I’m really proud of today. I just want to keep going. This is what I love about being out here, competing, and feeling that adrenaline again.”
Draper’s time off gave him a chance to work on his serve. “My serve was always solid, but it could’ve been more consistent,” he explained. “I worked on a few mechanics, especially after my pec injury last year and the recent bone stress. I’m always looking for ways to get better. Honestly, my serve feels more reliable now than ever, and I just need to get my arm back to 100%.”
Before the tournament started, Draper and Auger-Aliassime popped by the stadium for a surprise session with young players. They ran drills, shared stories from their own careers, and tried to inspire the next generation.
“I think it’s amazing to give back, especially to kids,” Draper said. “I remember how inspiring it was for me to be around players like Andy Murray when I was younger.”
Elsewhere, Stan Wawrinka beat Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan 7-5, 6-3, and Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard survived three tie-breaks to win 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 against Moez Echargui.
THE ALCARAZ STANDARD: WHY ARTHUR FILS BELIEVES CARLOS IS PLAYING AT A "DIFFERENT LEVEL."
Alcaraz is unstoppable! Discover how he dismantled Arthur Fils in 50 minutes to win Doha and keep his 2026 streak alive.
Arthur Fils just couldn’t keep up with Carlos Alcaraz in the Qatar Open final. After the match, Fils admitted that the world No. 1 is simply “on another level” right now.
Earlier in 2025, Fils hit a career high of No. 14 in the ATP rankings, but things took a tough turn at the French Open. A serious back injury sidelined him for months. He tried to come back at the Canadian Open in August, got through two matches, but then had to pull out of the US Open and missed the rest of the season. He even skipped the start of 2026, pulling out of the Australian Open.
Finally, in February, Fils returned to the court. He made the quarter-finals in Montpellier but crashed out in the first round of the Rotterdam Open, losing to Alex de Minaur, who ended up winning the tournament.
Everything seemed to come together for Fils in Doha. He knocked out eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in the quarters, then took down sixth seed Jakub Mensik, who had upset world No. 2 Jannik Sinner to reach the final against Alcaraz.
But against Alcaraz? There was just no contest. The seven-time Grand Slam winner needed only 50 minutes to deliver a 6-2, 6-1 defeat and kept his perfect record against Fils, now 3-0.
Honestly, losing like that to Alcaraz isn’t something to be ashamed of. The guy hasn’t lost a match in 2026 and already has the Australian Open trophy this year.
“I played worse than I did earlier in the week. But he’s number one for a reason; undefeated since the start of the year, you get it when you watch him,” Fils said. “He’s on another level right now, and I’m just not there. Not even close.”
“I need to put in the work, but at the moment, I’m not at that level. He plays unbelievably well. I’ve got no excuses.”
Alcaraz and Sinner have been running the show in men’s tennis for the past two years. After this run-in in Doha, Fils is set to jump seven spots to No. 33, and he talked about what separates players like Alcaraz and Sinner from everyone else.
“They start fast, put on pressure right from the beginning, and play at such a high level it’s tough,” he said. “We’ll have to watch the match and figure out what happened.”
Even Alcaraz had some kind words for Fils and admitted he was locked in from the first point in Doha.
“Today I played great. I focused on keeping that up the whole match and started strong,” Alcaraz said. “Finals are where you have to show your best.”
“Honestly, Arthur didn’t start well. He made a lot of mistakes, which gave me the confidence to play more relaxed and stay calm. I was able to control the match, control every point, and always be in a good position.”
“I played solid, stayed aggressive when I could, and hit passing shots. It all came together. Arthur just came back four months ago, only played a couple of tournaments, and still made the final here after beating some really good players. I’m sure he’ll get back to his best soon.”
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