ATP calls off event in United Arab Emirates following drone attacks.
A tennis event taking place in the United Arab Emirates, which witnessed players evacuating the court on Tuesday, has now been called off.
The Fujairah Open, a lower-tier competition on the ATP Challenger Tour, continued despite drone strikes from Iran affecting the region, but play was suspended after an oil terminal in proximity was struck.
Ukrainian player Vladyslav Orlov shared on social media that he heard fighter jets overhead during his qualifying match and characterized the environment as “not very safe.”
The ATP later opted to cancel the tournament along with a subsequent event scheduled at the same location for the following week.
An ATP representative stated: “In light of ongoing security issues in the area, the ATP Challenger Tour events planned in Fujairah this week and next week [Fujairah 2] have been cancelled.”
“The safety and welfare of our players and tournament staff is our top priority. Players remain on-site and are receiving full support, with accommodations and all immediate necessities addressed, while travel arrangements are being considered.”
“We are maintaining close communication with local authorities and tournament organizers and will continue to assist players until they can travel safely.”
An initial message sent to the affected players indicated they could book spots on a charter flight for €5,000 ($5,801), but the Press Association understands that the governing body is exploring alternative options to facilitate the players’ departure from the country.
British players Zach Stephens and Max Basing were among those entered in the draw, while fellow British player Finn Bass expressed on X: “Was meant to be playing there this week, cannot believe they’ve gone ahead and not cancelled the event. Madness.”
In more favorable news for the higher-profile players, they had all been stranded in Dubai since the conclusion of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.
Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov arranged their own exit from the country via Oman, while British doubles player Henry Patten and his Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara have also successfully departed.
Heliovaara, who is traveling with his two children, recounted their challenges on his blog, including an attempt to follow the Russian trio to Muscat, only to be informed they could not cross the border.
“Today we already drove for seven hours and ended up back at the starting point,” Heliovaara noted.
“It wasn’t a pleasant journey, especially when we found ourselves in a fully packed car for seven hours and had to rearrange things and install child seats multiple times. Fortunately, we had snacks with us, and the kids managed remarkably well, but it was still quite difficult.”
Heliovaara later updated his blog to report that they had managed to secure a flight from Dubai to Milan, although it remains uncertain if they will arrive in California in time for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The England women’s cricket team is considering alternative options following the cancellation of their training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt informed PA: “There’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment, and safety is crucial. Fortunately, we are quite flexible and adaptable as a team.”
“The security team is always informed about all of our trips, and we were scheduled to have a security briefing, but circumstances changed quite rapidly over the last few days.”
“As a senior player, I aim to instill a sense of calm and confidence in everyone that the right decisions will be made. So we are currently in a holding pattern.”
Source: espn.com
