Things are still heated in the Middle East following the geopolitical tensions between Iran, Israel, and other countries. Following the conclusion of the Middle Eastern hard-court swing, top players, including the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships winner Daniil Medvedev and World No. 17 Andrey Rublev, were stranded in Dubai.
During their press conferences at Indian Wells, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, and others prayed for the safety and sent their wishes to the people.
Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, and Others’ Wishes to People Affected in the Middle East
Following the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, the Iranian government fired missiles at the neighbouring Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Multiple explosions were reported by locals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, prompting the UAE’s Aviation Authority to temporarily close the country’s airspace.
This left Medvedev, Rublev, and others stuck in Dubai after the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships concluded.
Now, just a day before the main draw kicks off in Indian Wells, top players, including Gauff, Alcaraz, and others, shared their thoughts on the tense scenario.
The top-ranked American Gauff called the situation “unfortunate” and prayed for the people, stating, “What’s happening is unfortunate, and my thoughts and prayers are out there for everyone affected.”
World No. 1 Alcaraz, who was in Doha, Qatar, just a week before things escalated, expressed his worry, saying, “It was surprising, because couple days or one week before we are all playing there, and all of a sudden everything happen, seeing few players stuck there, couldn’t travel at all, it’s been a little bit worried.”
He then talked about being focused on his game, adding, “For me, it’s not a distraction at all. I just maintain my focus and be ready and practicing on my best, but we are all concerned.”
The 2023 and 2024 semifinalist Jannik Sinner, who is making his first appearance in Indian Wells for the first time in two years after a three-month suspension in 2025, said, “There are certain things we cannot control really, and this is definitely one of them.”
While calling the situation uncontrollable, the Italian expressed his concern for the ATP staff who were stuck and affected, adding, “I do think and believe that ATP and everyone is trying to do the best possible choices, to feel as safe as possible. I obviously hope that everyone is safe and they can come here to play or also to go home.”
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World No. 8 Ben Shelton recalled another such incident from Mexico, saying, “It’s tough, for sure. This last tour, I had friends playing in a tournament in Mexico with a lot of conflict, friends in the Middle East playing there still, people that are stuck over there. It’s brutal to think about some of that.”
The incident Shelton mentioned was the intense trade tension between Mexico and the United States in early 2025, sparked by tariffs imposed amid immigration and security disputes.
Fortunately, Medvedev and Rublev left the United Arab Emirates via Oman, then arrived in Istanbul, before catching a flight to Los Angeles. However, both of them were forced out of the Eisenhower Cup, where Medvedev was set to team up with Mirra Andreeva and Rublev was set to share the court with Amanda Anisimova. The American rising star Learner Tien stepped in for Rublev to form an All-American duo, and Alexander Bublik teamed with Andreeva.
Interestingly, both teams won their first matches, with Tien-Anisimova defeating the 2024 champions Emma Navarro-Shelton and Bublik-Andreeva defeating Jessica Pegula-Tommy Paul.
Tien and Anisimova reached the finals by defeating Bublik and Andreeva, then faced the defending champions, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz. In the finals, the Kazakh-American duo took a formidable 6-2 lead, and despite the American duo mounting a comeback, they still won 10-7.
