Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and two other Russian players made it out of Dubai and will play in the BNP Paribas Open in California after travel plans were thrown into chaos amid the United States’ and Israel’s attacks on Iran, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov traveled with Medvedev and made it out of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, with reports indicating that Rublev’s mother said the trio drove to Oman and flew to Istanbul.
On Wednesday night, TV station KESQ in Palm Springs, Calif, (near Indian Wells, site of the BNP Paribas Open), posted photos of Medvedev and Rublev practicing on the tennis court and reported that the pair, along with Khachanov, would address the media later Wednesday.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday after a walkover against injured Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
The ATP confirmed on Wednesday that some of its players made it out of the area, where the airspace had been shut down due to tensions in the Middle East following Saturday’s airstrikes on Iran. Dubai was among several neighboring regions hit by retaliatory Iranian strikes.
“The vast majority of players who were in Dubai have successfully departed today on selected flights,” the ATP said in a statement Wednesday.
“The safety and wellbeing of our players, support teams and staff members remains our highest priority, and we continue to remain in close contact with those affected.”
Several other ATP players were reportedly stranded in Dubai after the weekend attacks. One was Griekspoor, who pulled out of the final in Dubai due to a left hamstring injury.
Griekspoor eventually was able to fly to Milan, the De Telegraaf newspaper reported Wednesday. Doubles finalists Harri Heliovaara (Finland), Henry Patten (Great Britain), Mate Pavic (Croatia) and Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) had also reportedly been stranded in Dubai.