Arthur Fils will be making a quick turnaround following his exploits in Dubai when he faces Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday in Dubai. No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev gets his week underway against Jerry Shang.
(3) Daniil Medvedev vs. (PR) Jerry Shang
Medvedev and Shang will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time in as many weeks when they meet again in round one of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday. They just faced each other in Doha, where Medvedev cruised 6-4, 6-2.
Unfortunately for the 11th-ranked Russian, he has not been able to sustain any momentum in 2026. He won his first eight matches — including a title in Brisbane — but got blown out by Learner Tien in round four of the Australian Open. Medvedev is now 1-3 in his last four matches with additional losses to Ugo Humbert (Rotterdam first round) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (Doha second round). Still, there is no reason to think that Shang will turn the tide from what transpired in Doha. The 21-year-old from China is not in great form and conditions at these two tournaments are for all intents and purposes the same.
Pick: Medvedev in 2
Arthur Fils vs. (8) Jiri Lehecka
Lehecka vs. Fils is also a rematch from Doha. They squared off in the quarterfinals last week, with Fils rolling to a 6-3, 6-3 win on his way to the title match. The overall head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in Fils’ favor; he also prevailed 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4 in a 2024 Davis Cup rubber before Lehecka won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Toronto Masters.
Rest, of course, is likely to be a factor in this one. Fils is getting just two days off after falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Doha final on Sunday; Lehecka, on the other hand, has not played a match since last Thursday. The 24th-ranked Czech also has a history of playing well in the Middle East, so he should have a good chance for revenge on Tuesday.
Pick: Lehecka in 3