Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrated his first ATP 500 title this weekend after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championship.
The victory marked the end of an 11-match losing streak in ATP 500 finals for Tsitsipas, who had previously lost in several tournaments, including two finals in Dubai.
Following the win, Novak Djokovic sent a playful message on social media, humorously mocking Tsitsipas’ past struggles.
“No one beats Stefanos Tsitsipas 12x in a row on 500 Tour level,” Djokovic wrote in an Instagram story, alongside a photo of Tsitsipas holding his trophy and a laughing emoji.
The joke highlighted the friendly rapport between the two stars and showed that Djokovic had been closely following Tsitsipas’ journey.
For Tsitsipas, this win was not only his first ATP 500 title but also his first title of 2025, bringing his career total to 12. Additionally, he will rise from 11th to 9th in the ATP World Rankings, marking his return to the top ten.
Tsitsipas expressed relief after breaking his losing streak, saying, “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.”
He also spoke about the significance of returning to the top ten, calling it “one of the greatest feelings a tennis player can experience.”
In true humorous fashion, Tsitsipas later posted a message on Instagram celebrating his win with a witty caption: “They said my game was sinking… so I got myself a boat,” alongside a photo of him holding the Dubai ATP 500 trophy, which is shaped like a boat.
