Medvedev, Rublev among 40 ATP players stranded in Dubai due to Middle East conflict

The duo featured in the closing rounds of the Dubai Tennis Championships, with the semi-finals held on Friday and finals scheduled for Saturday at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre. The singles final, however, did not go ahead after Tallon Griekspoor withdrew with a hamstring injury, handing Medvedev his 23rd ATP Tour title without taking to the court.

The sporting outcome was quickly overshadowed by wider events, with the United States and Israel launching military action against Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes on American targets in the region, including locations within the UAE. The resulting airspace closures have left Medvedev, Griekspoor, Rublev and many others confined to their hotels.

Medvedev confirmed on Sunday that he is safe, but uncertainty remains over when travel will resume. According to Spanish outlet MARCA, the ATP convened an emergency meeting on Sunday evening to explore alternative travel arrangements for players scheduled to head to the United States for the Indian Wells Open.

The Spanish outlet reported that two contingency plans involved travelling by road: a six-hour drive to Oman, whose airport has since closed, or a 10-hour journey to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, both carrying significant risks given the length of the trips and the likelihood of lengthy border delays.

It added that the players have opted against either option, explaining that after carefully weighing the pros and cons, they have chosen to remain where they are for the time being and accept that their prospects of making it to Indian Wells are fading fast.

The ATP's head of security has advised those still stranded in Dubai to remain inside their hotel, which has effectively been converted into a bunker, with beds set up on the lower ground floor as a precaution should Iran's attacks intensify.

According to the tennis body, at least 41 people - including players, coaches, officials and journalists - remain in the Middle East, leaving many of them facing an increasingly uncertain race against time to reach the next event, the Indian Wells Open, in California.

The main draw for the ATP Masters 1000 tournament is scheduled to begin on March 4, with players holding confirmed flight bookings only until March 3. Local authorities are hopeful airspace could reopen on Monday afternoon, which would likely trigger a frantic scramble for the first available flights out of Dubai.

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