In a terrifying scene, tennis players at the Fujairah Open in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were forced to evacuate the court due to a fire that broke out after a drone was intercepted near the Port of Fujairah. The UAE is currently under attack by Iran, following the US-Israeli airstrikes over the weekend. The strikes, sanctioned by Donald Trump, led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and plunged the region into warfare. Airbases in the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi, and tourist hotspots in nearby Dubai were also targeted. The ATP Challenger Tour match between Daniil Ostapenkov and Matsuoka Hayato was disrupted by the incident. The alarm was caused by debris from the intercepted drone that started a fire at an oil industry zone. The Fujairah Media Office confirmed that no injuries were reported, the fire was brought under control, and normal operations have resumed. However, the chaos has affected some players competing at the ATP 500 event in Dubai, including the men's singles winner, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev, who are stuck in the UAE due to grounded flights. With the Indian Wells tournament starting this week, the stranded players are facing time constraints to reach their opening matches. According to Marca, the Russian duo plans to head to Oman by car, then fly via private jet to Turkey or Armenia before heading to California for Indian Wells. But this plan may be too risky, as Oman is also in the Middle East and could be targeted. The players' safety and the tournament's continuity are at stake, and the situation highlights the challenges tennis players face during times of conflict.
