Daniil Medvedev escapes Dubai as trio set to avoid Indian Wells withdrawals

Daniil Medvedev has finally managed to escape from Dubai and will be able to play at the Indian Wells Masters. There were initially concerns that Medvedev and other players would be forced to withdraw from the tournament because they were stuck in the Middle East. They had been playing at the Dubai Tennis Championships when the United States and Israel launched a combined assault on Iran, prompting the Iranian military to retaliate by striking American bases across the Middle East.

Several neighbouring regions, including Dubai, were hit by Iranian strikes which led to the closure of airspaces throughout the Middle East. As a result, Medvedev and several other players were left stuck in the region with no means of leaving. The ATP discussed alternative travel options, including a six-hour drive to Oman and a ten-hour drive to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

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It was reported that the players had decided to remain in Dubai, but it seems Medvedev and two other players ended up travelling to Oman to catch a special flight.

He has since left the region alongside Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov and will be able to play in the singles tournament at the Indian Wells Masters, having already withdrawn from the mixed doubles event.

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The news was confirmed by Rublev's mother, Marina Maryenko, who told Russian outlet RIA Novosti: "I'm waiting for Andrey to call me about his arrival in Istanbul. They organised a special flight for Medvedev, Khachanov, and Rublev's team.

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"We departed Oman at 4pm and I'm waiting for a call about our arrival in Istanbul. From there, the guys are flying to Los Angeles. The flight is six hours and 30 minutes, they said.

"If I'm not mistaken, the ATP helped with the arrangements. They kept holding up the flight for a long time." Maryenko later clarified: "We arrived in Istanbul."

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Medvedev, who won the men's singles title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, took to social media on Sunday after being left stranded in the Gulf region.

He said: "Here, of course, the situation is unusual, but the only thing that happens is the airspace is closed, of course. That is, no one knows when we will be able to take off.

"It is not clear whether it will last long or not. Therefore, we are just waiting, let's say, what will happen next in the next hours, days.

"They are gradually postponing the closure of the airport. As strange as it may sound, I'm very emotional on the court. In life probably, it would help me to be a bit more emotional at some moments, so for me, everything is kind of normal and let's say, natural.

"I received a lot of messages from friends, acquaintances and everyone is worried, but in principle, I can say on my own behalf that everything is fine."

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