Overview
- Players and officials were rushed off court during a Fujairah Challenger match after an alert, with stream audio instructing, “Get inside the building please.”
- A visible smoke plume rose from an oil industry zone about 10 miles from the venue in an incident reported as a suspected drone attack.
- The ATP first suspended play, then cancelled this week’s tournament and next week’s event at the same site, citing player safety as the priority.
- More than 50 players are stranded in the UAE following the cancellation, with reports naming Cruz Hewitt among those unable to leave promptly.
- An ATP email to players flagged a potential evacuation flight costing about €5,000 per person and said officials are working with contacts in Fujairah and Dubai while monitoring commercial routes; the wider sports calendar is also disrupted, with F1 staff rerouted on charters and the WEC Qatar opener postponed as uncertainty lingers over races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.