Matteo Berrettini defeated Gael Monfils 7–5, 6–4 in the first round of the Dubai Masters 1000 on hard court. The Italian, seeded as the pre-match favourite at 1.53 odds, justified that status with a composed performance to advance from the opening round. Berrettini's serve and baseline consistency proved decisive across both sets, as he managed the Frenchman's aggressive tendencies to secure a straightforward victory. The result extends Berrettini's early-season form at a tournament where he has consistently performed well, while Monfils departs without taking a set from a player ranked above him in the draw.