Russian champion Daniil Medvedev and other players are stuck in Dubai as airspace closures halt travel following regional missile attacks.
A group of professional tennis players, including recent champion Daniil Medvedev, remain stranded in the United Arab Emirates following Iranian missile and drone strikes across the region.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) confirmed a “small number” of players and team members are still in Dubai after last week’s tournament. They are being accommodated in official tournament hotels as air travel remains severely disrupted.
“The health, safety and well-being of our players, staff and tournament personnel is our priority,” the ATP stated. The tour body added it is in direct communication with those affected.
Finnish doubles specialist Harri Heliovaara provided a firsthand account from a hotel near the airport. He estimated around 30 people from the tennis tour are currently housed there.
“Much of the airspace in the surrounding areas is closed,” Heliovaara wrote. He described the group as calmly waiting for conditions to improve before they can leave.
Players received a tentative update as Dubai Airports announced “limited” flights would resume. Carriers Emirates and flydubai said they would restart some services, while Etihad Airways plans to resume operations from Abu Dhabi.
Heliovaara noted that road travel to neighbouring Oman or Saudi Arabia was considered impractical. The ATP’s clear instruction to all affected personnel was to stay in their hotels and wait.
The security situation escalated over the weekend as Iran launched strikes toward several countries. This was a response to American and Israeli military actions.
Despite the conflict, the Dubai ATP 500 tournament concluded with its finals and trophy ceremonies. The event was the last major tour stop before the circuit moves to Indian Wells in California.
The disruption has now impacted lower-tier tournaments scheduled in the UAE. The International Tennis Federation told AFP that two upcoming World Tennis Tour events in Fujairah have been postponed.
The ATP directed enquiries about two Challenger tournaments to its earlier social media statement, which did not address their status.
