Tennis Stars Stranded in Dubai Following Middle East Airspace Closure

Multiple professional tennis players, including former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, remain trapped in Dubai after airspace closures following U.S. military strikes in the region. The players are scheduled to compete in California this week but have no timeline for departure.

Multiple professional tennis players find themselves trapped in Dubai following the closure of regional airspace after U.S. military operations against Iran over the weekend.

Among those unable to leave the United Arab Emirates is Daniil Medvedev, the former top-ranked player who just captured his 23rd ATP championship at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday. The Russian star is accompanied by his family and coaching staff.

Also stranded are Tallon Griekspoor, who was forced to withdraw from the final due to injury, and Andrey Rublev. The airspace shutdown occurred following Saturday’s American military strikes on Iranian targets, creating uncertainty about when travel will resume.

The 2021 U.S. Open winner shared his situation with Bolshe Tennis, explaining that departure plans remain completely unclear. All affected players are expected to participate in the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, where main draw competition begins Wednesday.

“The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed, naturally,” Medvedev explained to the Russian outlet, as reported by tennisuptodate.com. “So, no one knows when we’ll be able to fly out. It’s not clear whether this will last long or not.”

“We’re just waiting to see what happens in the coming hours or days. They keep gradually pushing back the airport reopening time,” he added.

Despite the uncertain circumstances, the 30-year-old Russian maintains his composure and reports feeling well under the challenging situation.

“As strange as that sounds, on the court, I’m very emotional, but in real life, it might actually help me to be more emotional at times – so, for me, everything is normal,” Medvedev explained. “Naturally, I’ve received a lot of messages from friends and family, and everyone is worried, but I can say for my part that everything is fine.”

Both Medvedev and Rublev are scheduled to participate in Tuesday’s Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition at Indian Wells. Medvedev will partner with rising Russian talent Mirra Andreeva, while the 28-year-old Rublev is paired with American player Amanda Anisimova.

This marks Medvedev’s second Dubai championship, having previously won the tournament in 2023. The world No. 11 entered last week’s competition ranked outside the top 10.

Griekspoor, the 25th-ranked Dutch player, suffered a left hamstring injury during his semifinal victory over Rublev, who holds the 18th position in world rankings.

The stranded group extends beyond singles players to include doubles champions and runners-up from the Dubai tournament. Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and Britain’s Henry Patten, who won the doubles title, remain stuck alongside defeated finalists Mate Pavic of Croatia and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo.

Tennis coaches, tournament officials, and sports journalists covering the Dubai event also find themselves unable to depart the emirate.