New Delhi: Some tennis players are currently stuck in Dubai due to the suspension of flight operations at the Dubai International Airport amid the current security situation in the UAE and several other Gulf nations. The Middle East airspace has been shut down due to tensions in the region amid the ongoing war between Iran, the US and Israel.
Former world no.1 Daniil Medvedev is among the players stranded in Dubai due to the ongoing war in West Asia. Medvedev is stuck in Dubai with his team and his family. The Russian tennis star was in the city to take part in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
He won the final of the competition after his opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, pulled out of the match due to an injury. Medvedev won the tournament to clinch his 23rd ATP title. Griekspoor and Andy Rubelev, who were also in Dubai to take part in the competition, are currently stuck in the city.
The airspace in the UAE was shut after tensions rose in the Middle East following a joint operation by the US and Israel inside Iran. Israel and the US conducted missile strikes in Iran in a joint-operation, following which Iran launched retaliatory attacks. Iran targeted US bases in multiple Gulf nations, while also attacking the UAE.
Medvedev said he is stuck due to the suspension of flights and has no idea when he will be able to return home. “The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed, naturally,” Medvedev told Bolshe Tennis in Russian, as per 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.
Medvedev said he might be an emotional character on the pitch, but he remains calm in the current situation and has been coping well despite being stuck. The tennis player received multiple messages from his friends and loved ones and assured them that he is doing fine in Dubai.
“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. 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,” revealed Medvedev.
PV Sindhu set to miss All England Open due to being stranded in UAE
Meanwhile, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu is also currently stuck in Dubai and is set to miss the All England Open 2026, which is set to get underway in Birmingham on Tuesday. Sindhu got stranded at the Dubai airport on Saturday after tensions grew in the Middle East following missile strikes by US and Israel inside Iran.
Sindhu was stuck at the Dubai airport with her team and recalled her harrowing experience after an explosion occurred near the airport. The Indian shutter revealed her coach was only 100m away from the site, where the explosion took place, leaving her scared. Sindhu has since been moved to a safer location by the Dubai authorities and is doing fine. However, she is unlikely to make the trip to Birmingham for the All England Open.