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The 31st edition of the men's event at the Qatar Open will start from Monday, February 20. Roberto Bautista Agut is the defending champion, having won last year's tournament by defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili in the final.
The Spaniard will attempt to defend his title as he is seeded fifth this time around. However, he has his work cut out as the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev will also contend for the tournament.
What is the Qatar Open?
The Qatar Open is an outdoor hardcourt tournament that takes place in Doha. The men's event is part of the ATP 250 series, unlike the women's, which is a WTA 500 competition.
The inaugural edition of the tournament took place in 1993 and former World No. 1 Boris Becker won it by beating Goran Ivanisevic in the final. The tournament has since been held each year and some great players have won it.
Roger Federer is the most successful player in the history of the Qatar Open, winning it thrice in 2005, 2009 and 2011. The likes of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have also won the tournament in the past.
Venue
The 2023 Qatar Open will be played at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, which has a seating capacity of 7,000.
Schedule
The tournament begins on Monday, February 20, with the first-round matches, which will go on until Tuesday, February 21. The second round will take place on Wednesday, February 22 while the quarterfinals will take place on Thursday, February 23. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, February 24 with the final set for Saturday, February 25.
Players
2020 champion Andrey Rublev is the top seed at the Qatar Open and will be a heavy favorite to win. The Russian endured a disappointing opening-round exit at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam and will be eager to bounce back from that. Rublev will take on either Tallon Griekspoor or Quentin Halys in the first round.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second and will expect to have a good run in Doha following his quarterfinal exit in Rotterdam.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev is arguably the heaviest favorite to win the ATP 250 event. The Russian fell out of the top 10 of the ATP rankings following his third-round exit at the Australian Open. However, he has rebounded strongly and is currently competing in the semifinals of the ABN AMRO Open.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev is looking to find his rhythm after being out of action for a long time due to his ankle injury. The German may not be the strongest contender for the tournament but we could see him have a good run if he is close to his best.
Defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut is seeded fifth and defending his title will be a tough task. However, the Spaniard can be a menace for even the best of players on his day. The likes of Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are also in the main draw of the Qatar Open.
Prize Money
The total prize money for the tournament is $1,377,025 and the men's singles champion will earn a prize money of $209,445.
Here is the breakdown of the prize money:
Where to Watch
Viewers in the US can watch the Qatar Open live on the Tennis Channel, while those in the UK can catch the action live on Amazon Prime Video.
