Daniil Medvedev is living some extraordinarily weird days. On Sunday, he lifted the Dubai Open trophy, ATP 500, without playing the final, as his rival Tallon Griekspoor withdrew ahead of the match due to a left hamstring injury.
Medvedev has now won 23 titles and two in 2026 alone, after Brisbane International (ATP 250) in January. However, the joy of winning a title transformed into despair as he is stuck in Dubai International Airport, because the airspace is closed and has been for two days, now entering the third day of strikes between USA and Israel against Iran, which retaliated bombing airbases in Emirates, Qatar, or Saudi Arabia.
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Medvedev said that "no one knows when we'll be able to fly out. It's not clear whether this will last long or not" as he was stuck in the Dubai airport since Sunday. And he is not alone: Tallon Griekspoor and Andrey Ruvlev were also left stranded in the airport, with nowhere to go, and with the real possibility of missing the Indian Wells draw, which will take place tonight, for the tournament that starts on March 4.
He already had to cancel his participation in the mixed doubles exhibition tournament on Tuesday ahead of Indian Wells, where he was scheduled to partner with Mirra Andreeva.
Medvedev, known for his frequent outburst on court, said that he is calmer in real life. "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 normal," Medvedev said to Russian media (via Reuters). "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 fine."