Tunisia’s Moez Echargui at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on February 23, 2026.

Tunisian wildcard Moez Echargui delivered a competitive performance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday (February 23), narrowly losing to France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a match decided entirely by tiebreaks. The match ended 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(4), with all three sets requiring tiebreaks to determine the outcome. Echargui, currently the highest-ranked Arab player on the ATP Tour at No. 141, competed on Centre Court against top-tier opposition as part of what he described as an important period in his career. “Going on Centre Court and playing against top players, it is where we want to be, playing in these big tournaments, in front of these big crowds,” said Echargui. “Despite the result, I’m feeling really positive about it.” He added: “I knew the match would be a hard one, so I just tried to stay focused all the way through. I’m proud to represent my country and to represent all the Arab World – especially here in Dubai.” Mpetshi Perricard required medical timeouts for ankle discomfort during the match and later indicated he was uncertain about his recovery ahead of the next round. Echargui’s appearance in Dubai follows his ATP 500 debut in Doha last week. He is scheduled to compete next at Indian Wells. PIA/MFD/Expat Media
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