The ATP Challenger tournaments in Fujairah, UAE have been cancelled amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The ATP Tour vowed to cover the entire cost of flying the players out of the country after facing criticism for demanding 5,000 euros (Rs 5. 36 lakh) for a chartered jet. For contrast, the prize money for the entire ATP Challenger 50 tournament – 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams – is $63,000 (54,000 euros; Rs 57. 98 lakh) with the singles winner taking home less than $10,000 ($8,600; Rs 9. 2 lakh).
The events on the UAE’s east coast, located on the Gulf of Oman, were scheduled from March 2–8 (Fujairah 1) and March 9–15 (Fujairah 2) but will not take place after US and Israel’s war on Iran brought the entire Gulf region into danger.
Despite the first strikes occurring on Saturday (February 28), the tournament proceeded as planned on Monday (March 2). The most striking visuals came a day later when Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov and Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka rushed for cover mid-way into their second round qualifying match. A woman, possibly a tournament official, announced, “Everybody inside the lounge, please! Go, go, go!” Alongside the players, ball kids and officials also scrambled for safety.
After some deliberation, the ATP cancelled both tournaments. “Following ongoing security concerns in the region, the ATP Challenger Tour events scheduled in Fujairah this week and next week (Fujairah 2) have been cancelled,” the ATP said in a statement.
“The safety and well-being of our players and tournament personnel is our highest priority. Players remain on site and are being fully supported, with accommodation and all immediate needs covered while onward travel arrangements are explored,” it added.
As if the decision to proceed with a tournament under such conditions wasn’t controversial enough, the ATP Tour reached out to players with the idea of potentially organising a charter flight for the signed-up players at €5,000 per person.
“The ATP is potentially organizing a charter flight on Thursday 5th March from Muscat. Departure at 3.00pm, going to Milan, stopping on the way in Egypt. The cost is 5,000 Euro per person,” said the email that TimesofIndia.com has seen.
According to this plan, while the logistics were not entirely clear, the players would have been required to take a three-hour drive from Fujairah to Muscat, Oman which would necessitate a border crossing.
Two hours later, to make matters worse, another email stated that the ATP was not directly organising such a flight. Instead, it would explore “available travel options with third-party providers.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) joined the chorus demanding the ATP work towards player safety. It also said it would reimburse the players €2,500 each to leave the UAE. “We are taking this step to ensure that no player is forced to choose between their safety and their financial stability,” it said in a statement.
“We call on the ATP to join us and cover the remaining 2,500 euro per player and work collaboratively toward solutions that put players first.”
After the remonstration by players and the PTPA, the ATP Tour did a U-turn and agreed to cover the costs of flying players out of the region and toward safety.
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Orlov said he heard jets during his second-round qualifying win over Ronit Karki on Tuesday.
“When I was playing I heard the sounds of the jets flying here and there,“ Orlov said in a video posted on social media. ”And there is smoke going here next to the mountain, so not very safe here right now.”
Ilya Ivashka, who was due to play the qualifying match on Wednesday, shared a screenshot of the email on Instagram, with the caption: “no words needed @atptour” followed by the hand-clapping emojis.
Russia’s Marat Sharipov wrote on Instagram: “Thank you @atpchallenger for arranging us a charter for ONLY 5000 euros! That’s slightly more than the prize money after taxes for winning the tournament, but I appreciate the gesture!”
Japan’s Takuya Kamasaka posted an image of Fujairah Oil Terminal with the caption: “The intercepted drone fell on an oil facility, causing a fire. Today’s match has been cancelled. I want to go home safely…,” he wrote on Instagram.
Finn Bass, who was originally scheduled to play in the tournament, was shocked that the tournament began at all.
“Was meant to be playing there this week, cannot believe they’ve gone ahead and not cancelled the event. Madness,” he wrote on X before the tournament was called off.
The UAE later confirmed that shrapnel had landed at the Fujairah Oil Terminal, not far from the Tennis Country Club Fujairah. It also said that the armed forces had intercepted a drone attack but no casualties were reported.
After the ATP 500 Dubai Tennis Championships played last week, players were also stuck due to closed airspace in the region. Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev are two of the prominent names who were affected. Both have entered the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California, which starts on Wednesday (March 4). However, neither will play before Friday at the earliest.
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