Dubai : Former world number one Daniil Medvedev, his family and team were stranded in Dubai on Sunday, a day after he captured the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for his 23rd career ATP title.
Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor, who withdrew from the final due to injury, and fellow Russian Andrey Rublev were also in the United Arab Emirates after airspace was closed following U.S. airstrikes on Iran on Saturday and rising tensions in the Middle East.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, told Bolshe Tennis he did not know when he would be able to depart. He and several others are due to compete at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, where main-draw play begins Wednesday.
“The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed, naturally,” Medvedev said in Russian, according to 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.”
Medvedev said he remained calm despite the uncertainty.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Medvedev is scheduled to play in The Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition at Indian Wells on Tuesday alongside rising Russian WTA player Mirra Andreeva. Rublev is also slated to compete in the exhibition, partnering American Amanda Anisimova.
Medvedev, 30, also won the Dubai title in 2023 and was ranked 11th in the world entering this year’s event.
Griekspoor, ranked 25th, injured his left hamstring during his semifinal victory over Rublev, who is ranked 18th. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the other singles semifinalist, reportedly departed on one of the final flights out of Dubai on Saturday and arrived in Indian Wells, according to the Montreal Gazette. He lost to Medvedev in the semifinals and is ranked eighth in the world.
Doubles players Harri Heliovaara, Mate Pavic, Henry Patten and Marcelo Arevalo are also reportedly stranded. Heliovaara and Patten defeated Pavic and Arevalo in the Dubai doubles final.
Various coaches, officials and tennis journalists also remain in the city awaiting further updates on the reopening of airspace.
