Players and officials fled from the courts at an ATP Challenger event in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, after a security alert triggered by the ongoing Middle East war. The men's tour governing body confirmed that play was halted abruptly, with participants moving to designated safe areas.
The security alert followed U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran over the weekend, which killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Retaliatory missiles were subsequently fired at targets in the Arabian Peninsula, raising tensions across the region.
Play in the Fujairah Challenger event was suspended in line with established security protocols and later cancelled for the remainder of the day as a precaution. Footage online showed Japan's Hayato Matsuoka and Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov leaving the court mid-match, followed by the chair umpire.
The ATP announced the cancellation of both this week's and next week's Challenger events in Fujairah, stating: 'The safety and wellbeing of our players and tournament personnel is our highest priority.' Players remain on site with accommodation and support while travel arrangements are being made.
Australians James McCabe, Cruz Hewitt, and Jason Kubler were scheduled to play in the main draw. The conflict has also caused airspace closures and flight cancellations across parts of the Gulf, disrupting travel for players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, who face challenges reaching the next ATP Tour stop in Indian Wells.
