In December last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas pledged to “reinvent” himself in the 2025 season. He said, “I’m looking for a fresh, new 2025.” However, the Greek is yet to put up a solid performance this season. Although he recently became the first man born in 1998 or later to clinch the 350th win of his career, Tsitsipas has a massive challenge waiting for him in the QF of the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships.

He will be facing the former world number 6 Matteo Berrettini (ITA) in that epic encounter. Who’s the favorite to win this battle?

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Matteo Berrettini: Preview

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov by 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-4 in the R16. With that win, the Greek star has now managed to maintain his record of never failing before the QF at the ATP 500 event. He was the quarterfinalist in 2018 and then after that, Tsitsipas even made it to the finals in 2019 and 2020.

On the other hand, Matteo Berrettini entered this tournament following an impressive performance in Doha. Even in Dubai, he’s yet to drop a set in this tournament. Berrettini defeated Australia’s Christopher O’Connell by 7-6(2), 6-2 in the previous round. Can he keep his dominance intact in the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships?

Tsitsipas vs. Berrettini: Head-to-Head

Both these players have met each other five times in their careers so far. Currently, Stefanos Tsitsipas has a 4-1 lead over Matteo Berrettini in the H2H record.

• 2024 Gstaad SF: Berrettini 7-6(6), 7-5.
• 2023 United Cup SF: Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
• 2021 ATP Masters 1000 Rome R16: Tsitsipas 7-6(3), 6-2.
• 2021 Australian Open R16: Tsitsipas W/O
• 2019 Australian Open R128: Tsitsipas 6(3)-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(4).
• 2017 US Open 2nd Round Qualifying: Tsitsipas 6(6)-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(2).

Prediction: Tsitsipas to win in three sets

Matteo Berrettini‘s only win against Stefanos Tsitsipas came on the clay courts. On the other hand, apart from his incredible record in this tournament, we must not forget that Tsitsipas has reached fifteen finals and won five titles on the hard courts. He enjoys playing in these conditions and so, looking at these factors and their H2H record, we feel Tsitsipas is the clear favorite in this mega duel.

However, if we look at the numbers, Stefanos Tsitsipas (11) currently has a win-loss record of just 4-4 in the 2025 season, whereas, Matteo Berrettini (30) has recorded 5-4 as of now. So, margins are quite close looking at this stat. Although the Greek has a higher possibility of winning this match, we expect the Italian to come up with a strong fight.

Talking about their playing styles, Berrettini is an aggressive all-court player who’s mainly known for his fiery serves and strong forehand. He has already hit 121 aces this season and guess what? In the last match, he fired 15 aces against the Aussie! Apart from his incredible serving ability, Matteo Berrettini also loves setting up quick points and hitting winners with his aggressive style of play. He can also disguise his opponents with his stunning drop shots on both wings. However, his biggest weaknesses have been his defensive game, consistency, and footwork.

His opponent in this match, Stefanos Tsitsipas is an aggressive baseliner who loves hitting powerful groundstroke winners. Tsitsipas has a good strong forehand and his signature one-handed backhand shot makes him a really special player on the tour. Although the Greek is known for his strong serves, he hit 7 aces in the last match but committed an equal number of double faults. His biggest weakness has been a high percentage of unforced errors while trying to hit winners. However, despite all these weaknesses in his game, we feel, it’d be hard for any opponent to topple the former world number 3 in this tournament. He’s surely not only a favorite in this match but also for clinching the title in Dubai this year.