Former world number one Daniil Medvedev’s week to win the title in Dubai took an unexpected turn, with the Russian star, his family and his team stranded in the United Arab Emirates after regional airspace was closed following escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The disruption came a day after Medvedev won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, his 23rd career ATP crown. The airspace closure followed the United States’ airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, leaving several players unable to leave the country.
Medvedev told Bolshe Tennis in Russian that it was unclear when flights would resume.
“The situation is unusual, but basically the only thing is that the airspace is naturally closed,” Medvedev said. “So no one knows when we’ll be able to fly. It’s not clear if it will be long or not.”
“We’re waiting to see what happens in the coming hours or days. They’re moving the reopening time of the airport gradually.”
The 2021 US Open champion said he remained calm despite the uncertainty.
“As strange as it sounds, I am very emotional on the court, but in real life it can sometimes help me to be more emotional – so everything is normal for me,” said Medvedev. “Obviously I’ve had a lot of messages from friends and family and they’re all concerned, but I can say for myself that everything is fine.”
Several other players are also stuck in Dubai, including Russians Andrey Rublev and Mirro Andreev, as well as Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. Griekspoor withdrew from the Dubai final due to a left hamstring injury sustained during his semi-final win over Rublev.
The players are set to compete at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, where the main draw begins on Wednesday. Medvedev and Rublev will also take part in The Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition on Tuesday. Medvedev’s partner is Andreeva, while Rublev is set to pair up with American Amanda Anisimova.
Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost to Medvedev in the semi-finals, managed to take one of the final flights from Dubai on Saturday. According to reports, he arrived in Indian Wells and was scheduled to practice on Sunday.
The doubles players Harri Heliovaara, Mate Pavic, Henry Patten and Marcelo Arevalo are also said to be stuck. Heliovaara and Patten defeated Pavic and Arevalo in the Dubai doubles final.
With the Indian Wells tournament around the corner, players, coaches and officials are now awaiting further updates and hoping the airspace will reopen in time to avoid disrupting the ATP calendar.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
March 02, 2026 09:58 IST
