An ATP Challenger tennis tournament in the United Arab Emirates was abruptly halted due to a security alert amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, as players and officials fled the courts to designated safety zones.
THE US and Israel launch airstrikes against Iran over the weekend, killing “the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and rdeadly missiles fired at targets in the Arabian Peninsula.
Participation in the Fujairah Challenger event – a lower-tier ATP tournament – was suspended in line with established safety protocols, before being “cancelled for the remainder of the day as a precautionary measure”.
Online footage showed Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Belarus’ Daniil Ostapenkov leave the court midway through their qualifying match before the chair umpire made an announcement and did the same.
The ATP then made the decision to cancel the tournament.
“Following ongoing security concerns in the region, ATP Challenger Tour events scheduled in Fujairah this week and next week have been canceled,” the ATP said in a statement.
“The safety and well-being of our players and tournament staff is our top priority.
“Players remain on site and are fully supported, with accommodation and all immediate needs covered while travel arrangements are explored.”
Australians James McCabe, Cruz Hewitt and Jason Kubler were scheduled to compete in the main draw.
The war has led to airspace closures and flight cancellations in parts of the Gulf, disrupting a key transit hub for the international sport and complicating players’ travel.
Daniil Medvedev, who won the Dubai Championships title by forfeit on Saturday, and his compatriot “Russian Andrey” Rublev, are among many players facing challenges reaching the next stop on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells, California..
Reuters
