WATCH: Formula 1 driver George Russell enjoying Qatar Open 2025 tennis match

Formula 1 driver George Russell was seen enjoying the Qatar Open 2025 semi-match in Doha ahead of the F1 season testing that starts on February 26 in Bahrain. The island country is a neighbour to Qatar and they host the ATP 500 event in Doha. The Middle Eastern country is now one of the biggest sporting hubs in the world, as it hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

WATCH: George Russell enjoys Qatar Open 2025 semi-finals

We had a feeling this might happen 🤭

🎾🤝🏎️#qatarexxonmobilopen | @GeorgeRussell63 https://t.co/evNqbJK0x6 pic.twitter.com/FRHnldOBEC

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 21, 2025

As George Russell is waiting for the testing session to start on February 26, he doesn't want to waste his time sitting in Bahrain, so he flew to Doha to watch the Qatar Open 2025 semi-final match between Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger Aliassime. The 2020 Qatar Open winner, Rublev, defeated the Canadian player 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5) and entered the finals. He will now face the UK’s Jack Draper. Russell’s fellow countryman Jack Draper played his semifinals against Jiri Lehecka and won 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3.

George Russell seated at the VIP box of Qatar ExxonMobil Open semifinals with former Italian tennis player and the current chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Andrea Gaudenzi pic.twitter.com/XNUBdlaWzp

— ari (@yvesaintrussell) February 21, 2025

Qatar Open is a big tournament and many leading tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Novak Djokovic played in the ATP 500 and lost this year. Only Andrey Rublev and Jack Draper came this far into the finals. The two had met four times in their careers, and Andrey Rublev won all three matches. Let us see what Draper brings to defeat his long-standing undefeated rival. 

Formula 1 drivers enjoy tennis games during their free time, as we see many F1 drivers visiting tennis courts in Monte Carlo, Wimbledon and French Open games. This time the season started in the Middle East, so we expect more arrivals to the Middle Eastern countries for tennis games.

George Russell is now the leader of his team, Mercedes, after the departure of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. He is the one who should guide young Kimi Antonelli in his rookie Formula 1 season and make him score points and finish on the podium. Mercedes is betting on George for this year's Formula 1 season, as they look like strong competitors for the world title.

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