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Reigning champion Rublev powers into Qatar Open semis

The 2026 Qatar Open Tennis tournament is an ATP-500 event on the organization’s calendar which takes place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash complex in Doha, Qatar, between February 16 and 21

DOHA, February 19. /TASS/. Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev cleared the quarterfinals round of the 2025 Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on Thursday, defeating Stefanos Tsistipas of Greece.

The 5th-seeded Rublev, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, outplayed his Greek opponent 6-3; 7-6 (7-2). In the semifinals, he awaits the winner of the quarterfinals duel between his countryman Karen Khachanov (7th-seeded) and top-seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.

Rublev, 28, is currently ranked 14th in the ATP Rankings list. He has won 17 career ATP singles tournament titles and four more in men’s doubles. Rublev has never made it past the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam.

The Russian tennis player took home the gold at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in mixed doubles (with teammate Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) and also won the 2021 Davis Cup as part of the Russian national team.

The 2026 Qatar Open Tennis tournament is an ATP-500 event on the organization’s calendar which takes place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash complex in Doha, Qatar, between February 16 and 21. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts. Rublev is the reigning champion.

Russian and Belarusian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations moved to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022, to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from participating in the 2022 Davis Cup and the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

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