The men’s tennis tour has canceled two events in the United Arab Emirates after a security alert interrupted one of the matches on Tuesday. In the wake of the disruption, the ATP Tour informed players registered for the Fujairah Challenger events that there was a possibility of arranging a charter flight out of the region for €5,000 ($5,800) per person. The proposed departure was scheduled for 3 p.m. local time on Thursday from Muscat, Oman, a roughly three-hour drive from Fujairah that would require crossing a border.
Hours later, in a second email seen by The Athletic, the ATP clarified that it was not directly organizing a flight but would instead explore “available travel options with third-party providers.”
A spokesperson later confirmed the cancellations, stating that the safety and well-being of players and tournament personnel remain the top priority. Players were still on site and receiving full support, with accommodation and immediate needs covered as organizers pursued onward travel arrangements.
The first of two Challenger Tour events in Fujairah, a city about 120 miles from Dubai, was halted Tuesday around 1 p.m. local time. Three matches were in progress when play stopped, including a scene where Hayato Matsuoka and Daniil Ostapenkov, along with the umpire and ball kids, rushed to take cover after the call to shelter inside the building was announced.
Social media footage captured the moment, drawing reactions from observers and analysts who described the incident as extraordinarily frightening on a tennis court.
UAE authorities later reported that shrapnel had landed at the Fujairah Oil Terminal, about eight miles from the Tennis Country Club Fujairah. They said the armed forces had intercepted a drone attack and that no casualties were reported.
Ukrainian world No. 268 Vladyslav Orlov, who was competing in the second-round qualifying match, described hearing jets and seeing smoke in the vicinity, noting that the area did not feel safe.
Ilya Ivashka, who was due to play his final qualifying match the next day, shared a screenshot of the email on Instagram with the caption: “no words needed @atptour” and a series of hand-clapping emojis.
Marat Sharipov, participating in both singles and doubles, commented on Instagram about the charter option, joking that €5,000 was “slightly more than the prize money after taxes for winning the tournament,” yet showing appreciation for the effort.
When asked why the first Fujairah tournament had proceeded, the ATP and organizers did not respond. The event began Monday, two days after retaliatory strikes in the UAE.
British player Finn Bass, ranked 296, had expressed disbelief about continuing the event beforehand, writing on X that he could not believe the tournament was going ahead rather than being canceled.
With the cancellation, players and staff face the challenge of leaving a region where flights remain grounded and schedules are in flux. Even flights heading to Dubai faced delays after missile damage to Dubai’s airport over the weekend and ongoing interceptions in nearby airspace.
Top players who reached the later rounds of the Dubai tournament, including Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, have been attempting to secure flights since the weekend. They are scheduled to participate in the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, which starts Wednesday; as seeded players, they will likely be in action no earlier than Friday.
