Stefanos Tsitsipas said it was a relief to secure his maiden ATP 500 title after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Tsitsipas had reached the final of the tournament twice before, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2019 and then again to Roger Federer a year later. 

But the fourth seed ensured it was third time lucky, cruising to a 6-3 6-3 triumph in one hour and 28 minutes to claim his 12th tour-level title. 

Indeed, the victory will see Tsitsipas return to the top 10 of the world rankings on Monday for the first time since May 2024.

"There is nothing that ensured the win today, it was just pure fighting," said Tsitsipas. "It's a big relief that I’m able to hold that trophy after the third attempt.

"It's something that I had in the back of my mind, and I'm happy to say I accomplished it. I had a great opponent on the other side of the net.

"I knew it was a difficult task. I'm just proud of the way I managed the pressure and was able to perform in those crucial moments."

Lift it high Stefanos

@DDFTennis | #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/p4sOeDuZmk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 1, 2025

Data Debrief: Sensational Tsitsipas strikes gold

Tsitsipas faced a tough test against Auger-Aliassime, who leads the ATP Tour in wins (16) this term, and was chasing his third title of 2025 after winning in Adelaide and Montpellier, but he passed with flying colours in Dubai. 

The Greek won 83% (35/42) of his first-serve points, while also saving all seven of the break points he faced, and converting three of his own in return. 

Indeed, it is the biggest outdoor hard-court trophy of Tsitsipas' career, and he will be looking to use this victory as a springboard for the remainder of the season.