Middle Eastern tennis tournaments scheduled to take place next year could reportedly be replaced due to ongoing security concerns in the region.
Shortly after winning the Dubai 500 event in February, Daniil Medvedev and fellow finalist Tallon Griekspoor were among a number of players and ATP staff left stranded in the city following missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates.
Flights in and out of the country were halted for days as Iranian forces attacked American military assets in the area, and now, contingency plans are being explored ahead of the scheduled WTA and ATP Tour events in Dubai and Doha, Qatar, in February 2027.
According to The I Paper, tennis authorities have started discussing a possible ‘Plan B’ to avoid a repeat of earlier this year. Singapore and Australia have been ‘mooted’ as possible replacements for the WTA events, but no ‘formal approach’ has been made.
The report adds that ATP bosses would prefer the tournaments to be switched to Europe but there are no immediate ‘forthcoming options’.
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It may also be more difficult for the WTA Tour to find a backup option, as while the Dubai and Doha are ATP 500s, the women’s tournaments are 1000s – which requires bigger draws, prize money, resources, and more.
While both Dubai and Doha’s international airports remain open, nobody will want to see a repeat of last year, including former US Open champion Medvedev.
The Russian, compatriot Andrey Rublev, and Griekspoor were unable to head off to Indian Wells for the first Masters 1000 event of the year as the UAE closed its airspace.
At the start of March, former world No 1 Medvedev spoke about being grounded with his family and support team in Dubai. The 30-year-old described it as an “unusual” situation, as one hotel the tennis fraternity were using was reportedly turned into a defacto ‘bunker’.
He said at the time, “Of course, the situation is unusual. The airspace is closed, no one knows when we’ll be able to fly. It’s unclear how long this will last, so we’re just waiting to see what happens in the next few hours and days. The airport closure is being gradually postponed.
“As strange as it may sound, I’m very emotional on the court, but in life, it would probably help me to be more emotional at certain moments. For me, everything is fine.
“Naturally, I’ve received a lot of messages from friends and acquaintances; everyone is worried. But I can say for myself that everything is fine.”
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