Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz among stars performing in Doha, Rio and Delray Beach | ATP Tour

Inspection Report

Alcaraz, Sinner, Fritz among stars playing in Doha, Rio and Delray Beach

The ultimate summary of what every fan should know about the upcoming week

February 15, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner lead off a busy week on the ATP Tour, with three tournaments unfolding in Doha, Rio de Janeiro and Delray Beach, respectively.

The top two players in the PIF ATP Rankings lead a strong field at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, a hard-court ATP 500 event. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires champion Francisco Cerundolo leads the clay court draw at the Rio Open presented by Claro, and two-time Delray Beach Open champion Taylor Fritz is the top seed at the ATP 250 event in Florida.

ATPtour.com looks at five storylines at each stop.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN DOHA:
1) Alcaraz is the man to beat: Alcaraz returns to the tournament for the first time since capturing his first Australian Open title, a victory in which the 22-year-old became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. Last year in Doha, Alcaraz fell to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals in the first round. This year, he starts against Arthur Rinderknech.

2) Beginning of the Sinner: Second Seed Sinner is set for his Doha debut. The Italian will be eager to bounce back from his heartbreaking five-set semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne and chase his 25th world title – and the first since lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy on home soil in November.

3) Former champions cheated: The draw includes three previous winners: defending champion Andrey Rublev, who also claimed the title in 2020 when the event was ATP 250; 2023 graduate list Daniil Medvedev; and 2024 champion Karen Khachanov.

4) The Fils keep coming back: Arthur Fils, former World No. 14, continues his comeback after an eight-month layoff due to a back injury. Competing in his third tournament since his comeback, the raw Frenchman could meet third-seeded Alexander Bublik in the second round.

5) Money’s eye/Glasspool answer: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool are aiming for a reunion after their shock second-round defeat at the Australian Open to James McCabe and Li Tu. The top seeds open against singles standouts Ugo Humbert and Arthur Rinderknech.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN RIO DE JANEIRO:
1) With the Cerundolo form: Fresh from winning his first title at home in Buenos Aires, where he didn’t drop a set, Cerundolo enters the ATP 500 event in Rio brimming with confidence. The Argentine reached the semi-finals in 2022 and 2024, but the top seed will be hoping to go deeper this campaign. He opens for countryman Mariano Navone.

What does 🥹 mean

Time @FranCerundolo get the 2026 title of Buenos Aires 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1CuuKGy04M

– ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026

2) Baez’s three-peat eyes: Sebastian Baez made history last year by becoming the first to successfully defend his Rio title. Now, the two-time champion is chasing his eighth ATP Tour title. After the semi-final in Buenos Aires – where he fell to Luciano Darderi – a possible match could be in Brazil at the same time.

3) Fonseca wants first win of 2026: Joao Fonseca has endured a torrid start to 2026, withdrawing in Brisbane and Adelaide before a first-round exit at the Australian Open with an opening match defeat in Buenos Aires, where he was defending champion. The 19-year-old Brazilian will gain confidence when he succeeds in Rio 2024, where he gets his first victory with the Fils.

4) Can Darderi continue? Luciano Darderi enjoyed a strong start to the season by reaching the quarterfinals in Auckland, the fourth round at the Australian Open and the final in Buenos Aires. With his sights set on moving up to a career-high World No. 21 on Monday, the Italian will be chasing his fifth ATP Tour title in Rio, where he is the second seed.

5) Fonseca/Melo factor in doubles: Fonseca teams with veteran Marcelo Melo in doubles, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about. Melo lifted the trophy last year alongside Rafael Matos. French duo Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul are the top seeds.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN DELRAY BEACH:
1) Fritz directed the third article: Taylor Fritz arrives in Florida riding high after a great run in the Dallas finals. The top seed is aiming for a third Delray Beach title, having won back-to-back programs in 2023 and 2024. He holds an event record of 12-6, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

2) Return of Ruud: Second player Casper Ruud is competing for the first time since he and his wife, Maria, welcomed their first child. The Norwegian reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and now looks to regain that level in his Delray debut.

3) #NextGenATP Jodar: 19-year-old Rafael Jodar just turned pro after one season at the University of Virginia. The Spaniard impressed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by the PIF in Jeddah and entered Delray Beach using the Next Gen Accelerator, designed to expand opportunities for rising stars 20 and under.

4) Strong American presence: Thirteen Americans appear in the main drawing. Among the top seeds are former champion Frances Tiafoe, 2024 finalist Tommy Paul and Next Gen ATP Finals winners Mpudi Tien and Brandon Nakashima.

5) Johnson/Zielinski top seed: Luke Johnson and Jan Zielinski return for the first time since their run in the Australian Open semi-finals. The pair sit fifth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and are at the top of the doubles competition.