The championship match of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships between Daniil Medvedev and Tallon Griekspoor was scheduled on Saturday, February 28. The singles final has, however, been cancelled after the latter’s withdrawal. The doubles final has proceeded without any disruption.
Meanwhile, the entire tennis community’s focus has shifted to the unsettling events in the Middle Eastern skies. A developing tense situation has raised serious concerns across the United Arab Emirates following recent reports of explosions and military actions in the region.
Unsettling Events in the United Arab Emirates Raise Concerns Amid Dubai Tennis Championships Finals Day
The Middle East is dealing with a severe escalation in military conflict as Iranian forces fired missiles at several Gulf Arab states on Saturday, February 28. This was following the recent air strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have now directly affected the UAE.
Loud explosions reportedly echoed across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, creating widespread panic among locals and tourists. The residents received emergency alerts on their devices asking them to stay inside secure buildings with military jets actively patrolling the skies over Yas Island.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority responded immediately by temporarily closing the country’s airspace, taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of citizens.
Tennis player Alexander Bublik narrowly escaped the chaos as he shared a screenshot shortly before the airspace was locked down. The image showed his flight traveling from Dubai to Los Angeles, writing,
“We were flying out of Dubai, thinking, ‘God willing, we’ll have a peaceful flight.’ We had just left Iranian airspace when I opened the news, and saw this.”
Bublik posted about his flight 20 minutes ago
by
u/alice_ik in
tennis
Tallon Griekspoor Withdraws From Dubai Championship Match Against Daniil Medvedev
Amid these tensions, the Dutchman Griekspoor, who was set to face the 2023 champion Medvedev in the championship match, withdrew due to a hamstring injury. During his semifinal match against the fifth seed Andrey Rublev, Griekspoor injured himself, limiting his on-court movement, but was still able to manage a 7-5, 7-6(6) win. He was deemed unfit to play the final following a medical assessment.
Not the way he would have wanted to win it 🙏
Griekspoor is forced to pull out of the 2026 #DDFTennis final, ensuring @DaniilMedwed wins his first repeated title in Dubai pic.twitter.com/GC4PIHiJD2
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 28, 2026
This withdrawal resulted in a walkover victory for the Russian, marking the first time he had won the same tournament twice. During his entire career, he had won 22 titles but had never lifted the same title again.
The men’s doubles championship match is presently underway, with the second-seeded duo Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić taking on the third-seeded duo of Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten.
With the United Arab Emirates’ airspace currently closed, it would be interesting to see how things proceed for players presently in the Middle Eastern region. Medvedev, Griekspoor, and other top players in the UAE are scheduled to compete at the Sunshine Double, with Indian Wells commencing on March 4.
