Daniil Medvedev ‘Would’ve Stayed in Dubai’ Despite US-Israel-Iran War

Daniil Medvedev finished as the runner-up at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024, losing both times to Carlos Alcaraz.

Daniil Medvedev ‘Would’ve Stayed in Dubai’ Despite US-Israel-Iran War

Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Tiempo De Tenis)

In Short
  • Daniil Medvedev was stranded in Dubai due to airspace closures following military actions involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
  • He won the Dubai Tennis Championships after receiving a walkover in the final, which coincided with the onset of the conflict.
  • Medvedev expressed he would have stayed in Dubai if not for the tournament, feeling safe there despite the situation.

Daniil Medvedev was stuck in Dubai due to the closure of the airspace following the US and Israel’s attack on Iran and the latter’s response to it by bombing the bases of both countries across the Middle East and Gulf region. Medvedev was one of the many tennis players, their team members, and the officials who were stranded in the Middle East following the conclusion of the Middle East Swing.

The Russian ace clinched the Dubai Tennis Championships for the second time after receiving the walkover from Tallon Griekspoor. The final was scheduled to be held on Saturday (February 28), the same day when the allies of the USA and Israel launched their first strike on Iran.

To reach Los Angeles, Medvedev first went to Oman. After he managed to find a plane, he flew to Istanbul, and from there, he booked a flight to Los Angeles. Following his opening-round win at Indian Wells, Medvedev said he would have probably stayed in Dubai if there was no tournament scheduled this week.

I was staying at one of the hotels where something happened, so my wife and I had to evacuate that night. It’s like, how to put it, I think it depends on the kind of person you are and the situation you’re in, so if I’d been with my kids, I’d probably have been more stressed about the situation. The kids weren’t there. They were at home in Monaco. So I thought, ‘Well, the important thing now is how to get to Indian Wells.’ To be honest, if it weren’t for tennis, I probably would have stayed in Dubai, because I felt pretty safe there. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I felt there.

Holger Rune is still in Doha, where he is undergoing rehabilitation after rupturing his Achilles tendon last year. He recently gave an update on his Instagram and wrote that so far, everything is alright.

At Indian Wells, Medvedev knocked out Alejandro Tabilo in the opener to schedule a third-round clash with Sebastian Baez, who went past Jiri Lehecka in the previous round. The former World No.1 holds a 1-0 head-to-head record over the Argentine, having defeated him in the third round of the 2023 US Open.

Daniil Medvedev comments on Novak Djokovic’s tennis IQ

At the press conference after his Indian Wells opener, Daniil Medvedev was asked what the term tennis IQ means to him. He was also asked to name the player who he thinks has the highest tennis IQ.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/#AusOpen)

I feel that tennis IQ is very much related to mental strength, but at the same time, they are completely different things. For example, Novak probably has a very high tennis IQ, but is he the highest in the history of tennis, or is he mentally the strongest in the history of tennis, or is he both? It’s very difficult to say. If you ask me, I think I do know some things about tennis.

Medvedev is chasing his third title of the season. He kick-started his campaign for the 2026 season emphatically, clinching his career’s first Brisbane International title by defeating Brandon Nakashima and later won the Dubai ATP 500 trophy.

The 2021 US Open champion has so far added six Masters 1000 titles to his trophy cabinet, last winning a title at this level at the 2023 Italian Open by defeating Holger Rune. Last year in the Masters 1000 events, Medvedev made two semifinals, at the Indian Wells and at the Shanghai Masters.

In the first Masters 1000 of the season, Medvedev is a two-time finalist, reaching the stage in 2023 and 2024, losing both times to seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.

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