Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, his family and his team were stranded in Dubai on Sunday, one day after he won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for his 23rd career ATP title.
Tallon Griekspoor, who withdrew from the title match due to injury, and Andrey Rublev also were in Dubai after the airspace was shut down due to tensions in the Middle East following the United States’ airstrikes on Iran on Saturday.
Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, told Bolshe Tennis that he has no idea when he will be able to fly out of the United Arab Emirates. He and the other players are slated to play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Main-draw play in that tourney starts Wednesday.
“The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed, naturally,” Medvedev told Bolshe Tennis 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 is coping well under the circumstances and has been able to remain calm.
“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 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 slated to participate in The Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition at Indian Wells on Tuesday. His doubles partner is young Russian WTA star Mirra Andreeva.
Rublev, 28, also is slated to be part of the Eisenhower Cup. The Russian’s doubles partner is American star Amanda Anisimova.
Medvedev, 30, also won the Dubai title in 2023. He was ranked 11th in the world entering the event.
Griekspoor, a Dutchman ranked 25th, injured his left hamstring during his semifinal victory over Rublev, the 18th-ranked player.
The other singles semifinalist, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, left on one of the final flights to leave the city on Saturday, according to the Montreal Gazette. His agent, Olivier van Lindonk, told the newspaper Auger-Aliasssime made it to Indian Wells and was slated to practice on Sunday.
Auger-Aliassime lost to Medvedev in the semis. He’s ranked No. 8 in the world.
Doubles players Harri Heliovaara (Finland), Mate Pavic (Croatia), Henry Patten (Great Britain) and Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) also are reportedly stranded. Heliovaara and Patten defeated Pavic and Arevalo in the Dubai doubles final.
In addition, various coaches and officials as well as tennis journalists also remain in Dubai.
–Field Level Media
