The real reason Daniil Medvedev retired from his quarter-final match in Qatar has now been revealed
Daniil Medvedev was enjoying the best week of his 2025 season in Doha, as he looked in good shape ahead of his quarter-final match.
The former ATP world number one had won just four matches in his opening three tournaments this year as he struggled for form.
Medvedev’s defeat to Learner Tien in Australia was perhaps the low point of his campaign, as he fell in five sets to the American qualifier.
Looking to bounce back in the Middle East, Medvedev beat Karen Khachanov in the first round, battling back from a set down.
He then secured arguably the most impressive win of his 2025 season, as Medvedev took down Zizou Bergs, 6-2, 6-1, dropping just three games in their last 16 encounter.
Searching for a place in the semis, Medvedev shocked fans by retiring after just one set, seemingly out of nowhere.
Following his Qatar Open exit, the Russian star has now revealed the true reason behind his mid-match retirement.
Daniil Medvedev retired from his Qatar Open match against Felix Auger-Aliassime with food poisoning
Having lost the first set 3-6 to his quarter-final opponent, Felix Auger-Aliassime, he retired from the match, releasing the following statement shortly after.
“Unfortunately, I had food poisoning,” said Medvedev.
“Very disappointed to end my run here in Doha like this as I feel like I was playing well.
“I look forward to coming back next year.”
Auger-Aliassime will now take on Andrey Rublev for a place in the final after the world number ten battled past Alex de Minaur in a thrilling three-set battle.
The Canadian has already picked up two ATP titles in 2025, having won the Adelaide International in January before winning in Montpellier earlier this month.
He is the only player to have won multiple titles in the men’s game this year, a mightily impressive statistic.
| Number of titles won | Name | Titles won |
| 2 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Adelaide International (ATP 250), Open Occitanie (ATP 250) |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Australian Open (Grand Slam) |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Rotterdam Open (ATP 500) |
| 1 | Denis Shapovalov | Dallas Open (ATP 500) |
| 1 | Joao Fonseca | Argentina Open (ATP 250) |
| 1 | Ugo Humbert | Open 13 Provence (ATP 250) |
| 1 | Jiri Lehecka | Brisbane International (ATP 250) |
| 1 | Gael Monfils | ASB Classic (ATP 250) |
| 1 | Alexandre Muller | Hong Kong Open (ATP 250) |
World number 25 Jiri Lehecka has the opportunity to go level with Auger-Aliassime on two titles this week as he prepares for his semi-final clash with Jack Draper in Doha.
Lehecka beat Carlos Alcaraz to secure his place in the last four as he continues his strong start to the year.
What’s next for Daniil Medvedev after Qatar Open retirement?
World number six Medvedev will hope to recover from his food poisoning in time for the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begin next week.
Medvedev will enter the event as the number one seed, with a great chance of adding his name to the list of 2025 ATP Tour champions.
- [1] Daniil Medvedev
- [2] Alex de Minaur
- [3] Andrey Rublev
- [4] Stefanos Tsitsipas
- [5] Ugo Humbert
- [6] Grigor Dimitrov
- [7] Jack Draper
- [8] Arthur Fils
The Russian star was victorious in Dubai two years ago, as he stormed to the title without dropping a set.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| F | Andrey Rublev [2] | 6-2, 6-2 |
| SF | Novak Djokovic [1] | 6-4, 6-4 |
| QF | Borna Coric [8] | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2R | Alexander Bublik | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1R | Matteo Arnaldi [LL] | 6-4, 6-2 |
It was in the semi-finals where Medvedev recorded his most impressive victory, as he took down number one seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
The Serbian star was no match for Medvedev as he advanced to the final with a convincing performance.
His win in Dubai was his fifth against Djokovic and his first since the 2021 US Open final.
The 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships begin on February 24 at the Aviation Tennis Centre in Dubai, UAE.
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