Tallon Griekspoor delivered some of his best performances of the year in Dubai over the past week, showing resilience and determination. However, things did not go his way: he suffered an injury in his semifinal yesterday, forcing the Dutchman to withdraw just hours before the championship match against Daniil Medvedev.
Following this withdrawal, Griekspoor expressed how he felt after such a strong showing in the Middle East.
Tallon Griekspoor Explains Why He Withdrew from Dubai Final Against Daniil Medvedev
Griekspoor entered the tournament as an unseeded player, defeating the Finnish star Otto Virtanen 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 32 match. He then caused one of the biggest upsets of the entire week, defeating the second seed, Alexander Bublik, 6-3, 7-6(4) to secure himself in the final eight of the tournament.
He then faced the Czech star Jakub MenÅ¡Ãk in the quarterfinals, who had defeated the World No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the same stage in Doha. However, he could not replicate the same magic against Griekspoor as he defeated the 20-year-old 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a gruelling three-set battle.
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He then stepped foot back on the Centre Court, locking horns with the fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. That’s where things changed for the Dutchman as he suffered a hamstring injury in the first set of the match. Despite not being able to move across the court, he still managed to continue playing and defeat the Russian 7-5, 7-6(6) in straight sets. His condition was very uncertain, with little chance of him playing today, so he announced his withdrawal from the match.
During his interview, he explained, “I had a lot of time with the physiotherapist and the doctor last night, which I thought was not too bad. Maybe also a little bit of adrenaline and some painkillers were in there. I did everything I could last night, had a good night of sleep, and woke up this morning and wasn’t feeling great, which I kind of expected.”
He then talked about going to the doctor, where he learned the extent of his injury. “Went down to the hospital, had a couple of scans done, and that showed that I had a tear in my hamstring, which happened yesterday at 5-all in the first set, unfortunately. And I had to make the tough decision to pull out of this final and also have to pull out of the coming weeks, and kind of try to recover as good as possible, and to be back on the match court as soon as possible,” he added.
Unfortunately, due to the same injury, Griekspoor had to withdraw from both the Sunshine Doubles: Indian Wells and Miami. After the semifinal, the Dutchman wrote a message on the camera lens, stating, “Keep trying,” which he explained during this interview.
He said, “Keep trying no matter how I feel, no matter what happens during a match. Just try to keep trying. Try to give yourself a shot at winning. I think I did that extremely well last night. And yeah, just too bad I couldn’t go out there today, give myself a chance.”
He then showed his disappointment at not being able to play the championship match despite being in good form. “I honestly liked my chances on those courts with the shape I had this week. Just too bad I couldn’t give it a real shot, but yeah, still happy with the week, played some great tennis, happy with where my tennis is heading. And now, focus on recovery and try to be back as soon as possible,” he concluded.
Tallon Griekspoor discusses why he was forced to withdraw from the Dubai final 😓 pic.twitter.com/3opWVFF7WG
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 28, 2026
This withdrawal meant a walkover win for the Russian, who wasn’t happy with the way he won. He sent a message to his opponent after the sad news, wishing him a speedy recovery.
This marked the first time Medvedev won an ATP title twice in his entire career. He had 22 titles before entering Dubai, all won in 22 distinct cities and events, never the same title twice. Lifting the title in Dubai ended this streak and awarded him his 23rd career title, marking a strong start to the 2026 season.
MORE: Daniil Medvedev, Tallon Griekspoor’s Dubai Final Cancelled After Withdrawal Amid Rising Tensions
Apart from the sport, geopolitical tensions are rising in the Middle East as Iran fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates following the air strikes by the United States and Israel. Abu Dhabi and Dubai suffered several explosions and blasts, with military jets patrolling the skies over the Arab world. Notably, the country has temporarily closed its airspace, preventing anyone from entering or leaving to ensure the safety of its citizens.
It would be interesting to see how the Dubai champion Medvedev makes it to Indian Wells on time to compete at Tennis Paradise at the prestigious Masters 1000 event.
