While the top seeds will rightly garner attention in Doha for the rest of the week, plenty of parallel storylines will be worth following in the now ATP 500 event.
It was obvious from the moment that Qatar ExxonMobil Open’s upgrade to an ATP 500 event was announced that men’s tennis action in Doha would feature many of the world’s top-ranked stars as well as a packed list of former winners, competing for the iconic Golden Falcon trophy.
Cue to February 17, the tournament’s premier, and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025 is not just about the big names. Rather, with the final draw locked, the action in Doha until the finale on the 22nd, will be packed with plenty of arcs to ponder.
Alcaraz’s Doha debut could get tricky
Technically, it will be Carlos Alcaraz’s second time playing in Doha but his debut at the Qatar Open. The Spaniard played the qualifiers of the Australian Open 2021 in Doha, which was relocated to the Qatari capital due to logistical challenges posed by the then-rampant COVID-19 pandemic.
Alcaraz — then a 17-year-old with vast potential — had not broken into the top 100 of the ATP rankings. He returns this year having established himself as one of the mainstays at the pinnacle of tennis with multiple Grand Slam titles and will headline as the top seed in Doha.
The 21-year-old’s official debut in Doha, however, could be tricky. En route to his maiden title charge in Doha, Alcaraz will have to face former world number three Marin Cilic in the opening fixture.
Two consecutive wins will see him face Novak Djokovic, a familiar foe, in the semi-finals with a chance to avenge his quarterfinal loss in the Australian Open. Alcaraz has maintained an impressive 9-1 record in 2025 so far, his only defeat coming at the hands of Djokovic last month.
Djokovic’s century quest and an unlikely partner
Two-time Qatar ExxonMobil Champion Novak Djokovic will be returning to Doha again, this time with another milestone in his sight.
Not that the 24-time Grand Slam winner is short of accolades, but a successful campaign will see Djokovic lift the 100th title of his decorated career. Only two have previously achieved the feat: American Jimmy Connors with 109 and Switzerland’s Roger Federer with 103 titles. Qatar could be another feather in his hat, after having completed the Golden Slam following a gold-medal-winning performance in the Paris Olympics 2024.
The 2016 and 2017 winner in Doha will start his single’s campaign facing Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, after competing in the double’s event with an unlikely peer — former world number seven Fernando Verdasco. The 41-year-old Spaniard will be up for his last dance with Djokovic as he recently his decision to retire following Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025.
Former champions on the hunt
Alongside Djokovic, four former winners will be competing in Doha, aiming to repeat their previous feat.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, both former winners and currently within the top ten of the world rankings, are likely to go deep in the tournament. Medvedev lifted the title in 2023, whereas Rublev was crowned 2020’s champion.
Defending champion Karen Kachanov will also be in action, yet will have to deal with Medvedev in the opening round to keep his hope of two consecutive titles alive.
Two-time champion Roberto Bautista Agut will also be in action, starting his campaign with a face-off against Zizou Bergs on Tuesday.
Although not previous winners in Doha, second-seed Alex De Minaur, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Grigor Dimitrov and Jack Draper also have the potential to break into a serious title charge.
Arab players with a chance to impress
Hady Habib, who gained fame across the Arab region following his Australian Open campaign, will be in action in Doha as a wild-card entrant.
Last month, Habib became the first Lebanese player to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam in the Open Era. He will be hoping to repeat a bigger feat in Qatar, starting with the opening-day clash against Australian Christopher O’Connell.
Jordanian Abedallah Shelbayh and Tunisia’s Aziz Dougaz are the other Arab wildcard entrants in the main draw.
Shelbayh, the first from his country to achieve an ATP World Ranking, will face 87th-ranked Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday to start his campaign on Tuesday. Dougaz, meanwhile, will face Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
Mubarak Zayid will be the only Qatari in action at home, who will compete in the double’s event alongside Spaniard Daniel Merida. The wildcard entrants will face the pair of India’s Yuki Bhambri and Croatian Ivan Dodig on Tuesday.
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