A tennis match in the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates came to a halt after a loud explosion was heard in the vicinity of the court, leading to both players and officials panicking and running for cover. The shocking development comes amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began with the USA and Israel launching joint military operations in Iran, following which Iran hit back with retaliatory attacks on a number of targets in the region, including those in the UAE.
On Tuesday, March 3, ATP players Hayato Matsuoka from Japan and Daniil Ostapenkov from Belarus were in action at the Fujairah Challenger. The Belarusian clinched the first set 6-3, with the Japanese later squaring things up by winning the second 6-4. In the decisive third, as Matsuoka was about to serve trailing his opponent 1-2, the sound of an explosion led to scenes of panic on the court inside the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club.
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Wasting no time, Matsuoka and Ostapenkov, along with the officials and ball kids, scrambled to safety. A video of the shocking moment later surfaced on social media. While it didn’t feature the sound of the explosion, the scenes were clearly indicative of the fear that resulted in the players and officials escaping the court. Watch it below:
According to UAE authorities and several reports, an Iranian drone was intercepted by the country’s air defense system over Fujairah. However, the subsequent debris from the interception led to a fire in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ), resulting in a fire and a plume of smoke, which were reportedly contained rapidly.
Also, according to some players participating in the Fujairah Challenger, play for the day was suspended following the incident. However, the tennis tournament hasn’t been cancelled at the time of writing.
Dubai Tennis Championships winner Daniil Medvedev’s Indian Wells participation uncertain after Russian forced to stay put in hotel due to suspension of air travel
Former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev won the men’s singles title at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships courtesy a walkover after his final opponent Tallon Griekspoor withdrew with injury ahead of the championship clash. Medvedev was scheduled to complete his post-match routine and then catch a flight to the USA for his campaign at this year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
However, the sudden escalation of hostilities in USA and Israel’s conflict with Iran led to a complete shutdown of Dubai’s airspace, with flights being suspended. Subsequently, Medvedev had no option but to stay at a hotel with his wife, kids and team, with no certainty as to when they would be able to get out of the UAE. The former No. 1’s compatriot and close friend Andrey Rublev, a semifinalist in Dubai, was also unable to make it out in time.
Reports suggest that Medvedev and Rublev’s teams are working on getting the players to Indian Wells. However, how they are going to make it remains uncertain. Even though certain flights from Dubai have been given the green light, there’s a chance that the Russians may have to first travel to Oman’s capital Muscat by road and then fly to the USA.
Edited by Sudipto Pati
