Undefeated since an early exit at the Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev finds himself riding another unbreakable wave of confidence. It’s reminiscent of the 2019 run he enjoyed following Wimbledon, where he reached back-to-back Finals in Washington DC and Montreal – won the title in Cincinnati – then pushed Rafael Nadal to a deciding-set at the US Open, in his first Grand Slam Final. Last week, Medvedev captured his 16th career title in Rotterdam. Saturday night, he made it 9 wins in-a-row – lifting his 17th trophy in his tournament debut.
FOLLOW-UP: The following week, Medvedev captured his 18th title in Dubai, extending the win-streak to 14 matches. He then reached the Final at Indian Wells, but Carlos Alcaraz ended the streak at 19 consecutive match victories. Unrattled, Medvedev moved on to Miami, where he captured his 19th career title.
That said, Andy Murray‘s improbable heroics throughout the 2023 Qatar ExxonMobil Open completely overshadowed Medvedev’s accomplishments. In Murray’s opening match against Lorenzo Sonego, the Wild Card saved 2 match points. He then overcame Alexander Zverev and Alexandre Müller in a pair of deciding-set clashes – before saving 5 more match points in his Semifinal victory over Jiri Lehecka. For the first time in years, center court at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex was packed for the Final. Murray’s “Braveheart” triumphs were fully responsible.
Voice Artist Andy Taylor | Photo: Samer Al Rejjal
UCOM | Filmed and Produced by Frank Keller
REGARDLESS OF PARTNER, ROHAN BOPANNA OWNS DOUBLES IN DOHA.
For decades, when the Qatar ExxonMobil Open was one of two week-1 events on Tour – instead of Doha, you would find Rohan Bopanna playing in front of his home crowd in Chennai or Pune. It’s a Doubles title Rohan has won 3 times in 4 Finals appearances.
However, after a scheduling shift in 2020, Bopanna got his first taste of Doha glory – lifting the falcon alongside Wesley Koolhof in his Doha debut. Last year, he and Denis Shapovalov were Finalists. This week, he partnered with Matthew Ebden to capture the title again – and is now 11-1 on these courts. At 42-years-old – in just three appearances – he is a 3-time Finalist and 2-time Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion. Imagine what those numbers would look like if India’s season opener had never clashed with Qatar…
BELOW: ALL CENTER COURT MATCH RECAPS | SINGLES RESULTS | DOUBLES RESULTS
ANNOUNCER RETURNS TO THE QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION TEAM
Since the 2011 Doha Arab Games, announcer Andy Taylor has been a fixture with the QTF. From the Qatar TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Open – to the Qatar Classic Squash Championship, the PSA Men’s World Championship, and World Padel Championship. Over 10-years, he regularly returned to this gleaming city on the Arabian Gulf – but last year stepped-back from hosting international events to slow down and focus on other aspects of his voice acting career.
HE MADE IT EIGHT MONTHS.
After 240 days in the recording booth, behind a microphone, only communicating with clients and partners through email, messaging, and video apps – he realized how much he truly values live, in-person performance and the genuine sense of “community” when working alongside other professionals committed to excellence.
In August, Andy Taylor returned to New York for his 21st consecutive year as the Voice of the US Open.
And in February, returned to Doha to work alongside his revered colleagues at the Qatar Tennis Federation as the announcer and tournament host for the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and Premier Padel’s Ooredoo Qatar Major 2023.
For 27-years, Doha was a week-one beacon for the ATP Tour's elite to knock the rust off, and fine-tune their talents for the coming season. Today, the tournament takes place in February, a week following the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. With top-shelf amenities and the Qatar Tennis Federation's determined focus to make every athlete feel at home, Doha offers a relaxed, distraction-free environment to excel on the court. From the facilities to transportation - the professional staff to fan-focused presentation - Qatar offers a tremendous experience for each player between the rigors of the season's first Major and the Sunshine Double in the United States. It's no wonder players have voted the event ATP-250 Tournament of the Year in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
I'm very humbled to return as the Voice of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and excited to make lasting memories with this year's field of tremendous talent.