The Dubai Open holds a special place for Roger Federer. It was at this tournament last year that the Swiss maestro lifted his much-awaited 100th career singles title to join American Jimmy Connors (109) as the only men in the Open Era to do so.
Federer opened his 2020 season with a run to the semifinal at the Australian Open, where he fell in straight sets to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. However, that was not before Federer achieved a few milestones at Melbourne Park, the most prominent of them being that he became the first player in the Open Era to win matches in four different decades with his first round win over Steve Johnson.
Following some discomfiture in his right knee, the 20-time Grand Slam champion underwent arthroscopic surgery in his native Switzerland. The recovery period for the same would entail Federer being out of action till at least the grass stint of the season, which means that he will not defend his title in Dubai this year.
The Dubai Open has been a favorite hunting ground for Federer over the years. Let us have a look at the 38-year-old’s five unique records at the tournament.
Having failed to reach the title round in his first two appearances at the tournament in 2001-02, Federer beat Jiri Novak in the 2003 final to win his first Dubai Open title.
The following year, Federer returned to successfully defend his title, beating Feliciano Lopez in three sets. In the process, he became the first player in the tournament’s 11-year-history to win in back-to-back years.
With further title runs in 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014-15 and 2019, Federer’s 8 titles is the most at the Dubai Open by a proverbial country mile.
Most successful title defences
Federer became the first player to win multiple Dubai Open titles when he won the 2004 edition of the tournament. The following year, Federer beat Ivan Ljubicic in the final to become the first player to win a three-peat at the Dubai Open – a feat subsequently equaled by Novak Djokovic in 2011.
However, Federer had a third successful Dubai title defence in 2015 when he beat Djokovic in the title match, which makes the 38-year-old the first (and only) player in tournament history to do so.
Most finals
This one is perhaps not much of a surprise. The most successful player at the Dubai Open, with 8 titles, is also the one to have played the most title matches at the tournament.
In his 10th Dubai Open final in 2019, Federer beat his Australian Open conqueror Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. That gave him a record-extending 8th title at the tournament, and in the process he joined Jimmy Connors (109) as the only men to win 100 career singles titles.
Federer’s only two reverses in the Dubai Open final have come at the hands of his two fiercest rivals – Rafael Nadal (2006) and Novak Djokovic (2011). One of five tournaments where Federer has made at least 10 finals, his success rate in title matches at the Dubai Open (80%) is the best.
Most consecutive finals
The Dubai Open is one of seven different tournaments where Federer has appeared in five or more consecutive finals, the others being Basel (13), Halle (10), Wimbledon (7), US Open (6), ATP Finals (5) and Indian Wells (5).
Federer made the Dubai final in each of his five appearances at the tournament from 2003 to 2007; it was only a defeat to Nadal in the 2006 title match that denied Federer a ‘five-peat’.
In his 13th appearance at the Dubai Open in 2019, Federer reached the title match for a 10th time. He beat young Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to win his 8th title at the tournament.
The triumph in the final was Federer’s record-extending 53rd match win at the Dubai Open, giving him a success rate of 90% at the tournament. This is Federer’s best success rate at any tournament where he has won more than 10 matches, behind the 73-6 (91%) record he has accumulated in Halle.
