In December, Dubai turns into tennis royalty's favorite meeting point.
This time, the desert jewel is hosting an almost surreal concentration of greatness.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are already deep into their off-season preparations ahead of 2026. Two great rivals train in Dubai, though in separate resorts.
ADVERTISEMENT
Add one more name to the mix, and suddenly the picture becomes irresistible! Roger Federer, the most decorated player inDubai Duty Free Tennis Championships history arrived in the city as well, spotted enjoying time at Ninive Beach Dubai.
Thus, threehard-court masters have been within a couple of miles from each other, blending the sport's past, present and future, with two active players sharpening their hard-court weapons.
The setting alone invites imagination. For Novak and Jannik, it's about sunset practices, palm-lined courts and somewhere between the gym sessions and recovery routines.
For Roger, it's more about enjoying one of his most beloved cities, where he has been a regular visitor for over two decades. It's not hard to imagine a casual dinner and a quiet laugh about old battles and new ones.
While Sinner never met Federer on the court in the official matches, he and Djokovic have forged quite a rivalry, with the young gun taking the previous five encounters against the 24-time Major winner.
ADVERTISEMENT
The location is ideal, with Dubai standing as sacred ground for the Swiss and the Serb. Between 2003 and 2020, they lifted 13 trophies at the prestigious ATP 500 event, turning the event into a personal stronghold over the years.
They met in the title matches only two times considering their dominance, with Novak winning in 2011 and Roger serving revenge four years later. Jannik has played in Dubai two times, reaching the quarter-final in 2021 and 2022.
With many notable hard-court titles on their tallies, together they form a rare triangle of legacy, excellence and ambition. Roger may be retired, but his presence still shifts the atmosphere.
Novak has always been the relentless standard-bearer, and Jannik represents the future pressing closer with every season. After all, the Italian has won ten notable hard-court ATP titles since the summer of 2023, following the footsteps of his glorious predecessors.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the moment, they simply share the same desert breeze, turning Dubai into a temporary crossroads for tennis history. The dinner is off the table at the moment, but when Federer, Djokovic and Sinner occupy the same city, the tennis world can not help but dream.
