Daniil Medvedev has a chance to break a big streak in Dubai.

15 years into her pro career, Taylor Townsend reaches the first WTA singles semifinal in Austin.

Plus, Tallon Griekspoor is one win away from the title in Dubai, and will he be able to play in the final?

Let's get you caught up on all the results, ramblings, and rigamarole from across the world of tennis.

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*Tiafoe vs. Nakashima still to be played Friday night

🔥 Second Helping? Daniil Medvedev dispatches #1 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the Dubai final. Here's the stat: Medvedev owns 22 tour-level titles and every single one came at a different event. He has never won the same tournament twice. Tomorrow against Tallon Griekspoor, the 2023 Dubai champion gets his chance to change that. He's 13-3 on the year and has won all four matches this week in straight sets.

🍞 Breadwinner Jasmine Paolini survives a 1st set bagel to rally past Katie Boulter and reach the Mérida semifinals. The #1 seed drops the opening set without winning a game, then flips the script to win 0-6, 6-3, 6-3. Paolini is now the only seeded player remaining in the draw and the overwhelming favorite for the title. She faces Cristina Bucsa in the semifinals, with Magdalena Frech and Shuai Zhang lurking in the final.

🦵 One Good Leg Tallon Griekspoor edges Andrey Rublev, 7-5, 7-6⁶, to reach his first Dubai final, but the story is what happens at 5-5 in the 1st set. The Dutchman tweaks his left hamstring landing after a serve and takes a medical timeout. What follows is absurd: Griekspoor breaks Rublev while visibly hobbling, then holds on to steal the set. He saves 2 set points in the 2nd-set tiebreak and fends off all 6 break points he faces to become the first Dutchman ever to reach the final in Dubai. Now... whether he can actually play tomorrow is genuinely unclear.

👩‍👦 First Time, Mom Wildcard Taylor Townsend rallies past Rebeka Masarova, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, to reach the first WTA singles semifinal of her career at the ATX Open in Austin. A 2-time slam doubles champion, Townsend became the first mom to reach world #1 in WTA doubles last summer. Singles? She had never been past a QF before this week. She blew a 5-2 1st-set lead, then never dropped serve again across sets 2 and 3. After the match, she embraces her 4yo son Adyn in the stands.

🚫 Final Warning! Miomir Kecmanovic advances to the Acapulco semifinals with a most unusual final point. His 6-3, 6-3 victory over Terence Atmane ends when the chair umpire issues a 2nd time violation for not being ready to receive. Atmane reaches for his towel as Kecmanovic prepares to serve at 5-3. The point penalty is the match point. The crowd boos. Atmane walks to the net without acknowledging the umpire.

💯 Club 150 Francisco Cerundolo demolishes Emilio Nava, 6-1, 6-1, in just 66 minutes to reach the Santiago semifinals. The win gives the world #19 his 150th tour-level victory, making him the first active Argentine to hit that mark. Cerundolo, the Buenos Aires champion earlier this month, has now won 7 of his last 8 on South American clay. South America's #1 player is making the Golden Swing look like home turf, and he's not shy about saying so.

💰 Pay Cut Indian Wells announces its 2026 prize money, and the numbers go the wrong direction. Singles prize money drops more than 4% in every round, from qualifying through the final. The champion takes home $1,151,380. The reason? The tournament triples the mixed doubles purse. Total combined singles prize money sits at $18.8 million, down 1.83% from last year.

👋 Guest List Indian Wells releases its 2026 wildcards, and the list sparks debate. Gaël Monfils receives an invite for what organizers call his "17th and final appearance." The 39yo was honored in Acapulco this week with Juan Martin del Potro courtside. Bianca Andreescu (2019 champion), Venus Williams, and Sloane Stephens also receive wildcards. Conspicuously absent: Stan Wawrinka, the 2017 finalist who's ranked #99 and also playing his final season.

🎯 Aussie Grit Kimberly Birrell takes down fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-3, 6-3, to reach her 2nd semifinal of 2026 at the ATX Open. The 27yo Queenslander says the match is tougher than the score suggests. Tomljanovic came in having knocked off Venus Williams and #2 seed Iva Jovic earlier in the week.

📋 New Playbook Jessica Pegula picks up a new title, and it isn't from a tournament. The world #5 and Dubai WTA 1000 champion is appointed by new WTA president Valerie Camillo to lead the Tour Architecture Council, a body tasked with restructuring the women's calendar. The 2026 schedule demands 4 slams, 10 WTA 1000s, 6 WTA 500s, and the WTA Finals. Dubai's WTA 1000 saw 24 withdrawals, including world #1 Aryna Sabalenka and world #2 Iga Swiatek. Pegula arrives at Indian Wells having reached the semifinals or better in 7 straight tournaments.

⌚ Strap In The ATP approves Whoop wearable devices for on-court use starting at Indian Wells. During the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka were all forced to remove the recovery-tracking bracelets before matches. Whoop even launched "connected underwear" to get around the ban. The new rule expands the list of authorized wearable providers across ATP competitions.

👶 Love All Camila Giorgi ties the knot with former tennis pro Andreas Ignacio Pasutt in Buenos Aires and confirms she's expecting her first child. The retired Italian, a career-high world #26 and 2021 Montreal WTA 1000 champion, quietly walked away from tennis in May 2024. Her last title? Mérida 2023, the same city hosting a WTA 500 this week. Asked about a comeback: "Never say never."

"I have no idea how I managed to win without being able to walk." - Tallon Griekspoor on defeating Andrey Rublev in the Dubai semifinals ¹

"Probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance." - Daniil Medvedev on his four straight-sets wins to reach the Dubai final ²

"If they don't want to come here, then don't come." - Francisco Cerundolo on Stefanos Tsitsipas skipping the South American swing ³

"We had big battles. He's a big champion." - Gaël Monfils on Juan Martin del Potro at his Acapulco tribute ceremony ⁴

"The WTA has been a little slow to implement changes." - Jessica Pegula on her new role leading the Tour Architecture Council ⁵

"I don't even know who I play. I've just been taking it one match at a time." - Kimberly Birrell on her semifinal run in Austin ⁶

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS — Final

◆ Daniil Medvedev (3) vs Tallon Griekspoor

MÉRIDA OPEN — Semifinals

◆ Jasmine Paolini (1/WC) vs Cristina Bucsa

◆ Magdalena Frech vs Zhang Shuai (Q)

BCI SEGUROS CHILE OPEN — Semifinals

◆ Francisco Cerundolo (1) vs Yannick Hanfmann

◆ Luciano Darderi (2) vs Sebastian Baez (3)

ATX OPEN — Semifinals

◆ Peyton Stearns (4) vs Kimberly Birrell

◆ Taylor Townsend (WC) vs Ashlyn Krueger

¹ Jiménez Rubio, Diego. "Griekspoor and the triumph of the lame man." Punto de Break, Feb 27, 2026. link

² Taneja, Anshu. "Daniil Medvedev Beats Top Seed Auger-Aliassime to Reach Dubai Final." Ubitennis, Feb 27, 2026. link

³ Varela, Sebastián. "Cerúndolo and Tsitsipas' 'no' to South America." CLAY, Feb 27, 2026. link

⁴ ATP Staff. "Monfils thanks Del Potro in emotional Acapulco moment." ATP Tour, Feb 27, 2026. link

⁵ Tomás Rico, Andrés. "Pegula: 'I've loved tennis since I was a child.'" Punto de Break, Feb 27, 2026. link

⁶ Christie, Vivienne. "Birrell advances to Austin semifinals." Tennis Australia, Feb 28, 2026. link

Additional Sources

Jacot, Sam. "Medvedev dispatches Auger-Aliassime, faces Griekspoor in Dubai final." ATP Tour, Feb 27, 2026. link

ATP Staff. "Cerundolo claims 150th win in Santiago." ATP Tour, Feb 27, 2026. link

Berkok, John. "Taylor Townsend battles into first WTA singles semifinal." Tennis.com, Feb 28, 2026. link

Livaudais, Stephanie. "Camila Giorgi ties the knot and reveals she's expecting." Tennis.com, Feb 27, 2026. link

Hypolite, Jules. "Stan Wawrinka Snubbed by Indian Wells." Tennis Temple, Feb 27, 2026. link

L'Équipe (with AFP). "Gaël Monfils invited for a final appearance at Indian Wells." L'Équipe, Feb 27, 2026. link

Solsona, Joan. "Kecmanovic wins by warning against Atmane." Marca, Feb 27, 2026. link

Jiménez Rubio, Diego. "Indian Wells reduces prize money." Punto de Break, Feb 27, 2026. link

Sosa Escalada, Juan Manuel. "Surprising Semifinalists in Acapulco." MundoTenisWeb, Feb 27, 2026. link

WTA Staff. "The 2026 Middle East swing stats wrap." WTA Tour, Feb 27, 2026. link

Hypolite, Jules. "ATP Approves Whoop Bands After Australian Open Ban." Tennis Temple, Feb 27, 2026. link

de Pablos, Pedro. "The message from the President of Serbia to Djokovic." Punto de Break, Feb 27, 2026. link