Daniil Medvedev Opens Up on the Family Situation After Being Stuck in Dubai Due to Israel-Iran War
Daniil Medvedev is scheduled to play Indian Wells, but it might now be in doubt.
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Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Daniil Medvedev)
- Daniil Medvedev and his family are stranded in Dubai due to closed UAE airspace amid the Israel-Iran conflict.
- Medvedev confirmed their safety but expressed uncertainty about when they can leave.
- The situation jeopardizes Medvedev's participation in the upcoming Indian Wells tournament.
Daniil Medvedev just wanted to pack his bags, head to California, and keep his season rolling. Instead, the former world No. 1 is sitting in Dubai with his wife, his daughter, and his entire support team going nowhere fast.
The reason? The Middle East has exploded into open conflict, UAE airspace is shut down, and nobody can tell Medvedev when any of that is going to change. Medvedev addressed the situation directly in comments to the Russian outlet More!, and he was measured but candid.
The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed, naturally. So, no one knows when we’ll be able to fly out; it’s unclear if this is for the long haul or not. We’re just waiting to see what happens in the coming hours or days. They keep gradually pushing back the airport reopening time. As strange as that sounds, on the court, I’m very emotional, but in real life, it might actually help me to be more emotional at times – so, for me, everything is fine. Naturally, I’ve received a lot of messages from friends and family, and everyone is worried, but I can say for my part that everything is okay
He confirmed that he and his family are safe, and that friends and acquaintances have been reaching out with concern. But safe and stuck are two very different things, and right now, Medvedev is both.
There’s no sugarcoating what this looks like on the ground. A professional athlete, one of the best players in the world, is waiting in a hotel room in Dubai with his family while geopolitical chaos unfolds around him. The ATP Tour isn’t built for this kind of disruption.
Daniil Medvedev claimed the Dubai title
Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev earned his 23rd ATP Tour title at the Dubai Championships in late February 2026, though the final never actually took place. His opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, pulled out with a hamstring injury, handing Medvedev the win by walkover.
What happened next, though, had nothing to do with tennis. On Saturday morning, U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint airstrikes on Iranian targets. Iran responded the same day, firing missiles at American military bases in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Dubai’s airspace was shut down almost immediately, grounding planes across the region and leaving hundreds of travelers stranded, including Medvedev and several other ATP players who had been in town for the tournament.
Indian Wells is now in serious doubt for Daniil Medvedev
The timing here is brutal. Indian Wells, one of the biggest tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams, is right around the corner. Daniil Medvedev has a history with the event. He reached the final there in both 2023 and 2024, and was expected to be a serious contender again in early March 2026.
That’s looking increasingly uncertain. Tournament organizers in California are now watching the situation closely, trying to figure out which players will actually make it stateside in time to compete.
Draw schedules may need to be adjusted. Seedings could be affected. The whole thing is a logistical headache that no one in the sport anticipated needing to solve.
Medvedev isn’t the only one affected, either. Other ATP players who were in Dubai face the same problem. There’s no timeline for when UAE airspace will reopen, which means nobody can plan anything right now.
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