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Tuesday 03 March 2026 3:00 pm | Updated: Tuesday 03 March 2026 3:01 pm
FUJAIRAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - APRIL 07: A general view of the marina is seen as teams prepare to race for pole position during the Fujairah Grand Prix - the first round of the UIM XCAT World Series 2016 where 14 boats are competing. XCAT, short for extreme catamaran, is one of the most challenging and extreme forms of powerboat racing in the world at the Fujairah International Marine Sports Club on April 7, 2016 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for XCAT)
An Iranian drone attack forced players and officials on a tennis court at an ATP Challenger event in the UAE to flee for cover on Tuesday.
Two matches at the tournament, taking place in Fujairah were interrupted after a fire broke out at an oil terminal around 10km from the ATP Challenge event site.
Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Russia’s Daniil Ostapenkov were seen fleeing from the court, alongside officials, with the ATP confirming that the rest of the day’s play would be cancelled.
“Following consultation with local authorities and security advisers, play has been cancelled for the remainder of the day as a precautionary measure,” the ATP said.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as appropriate.”
Iran drone attack threatens tennisIt comes amid a number of obstacles for sportspeople and organisations following the recent conflict in Iran, with Formula 1’s governing FIA monitoring the situation in the Middle East ahead of Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month.
Motorsport chiefs chartered planes to take employees to the opening race week of the season, in Australia, via airports in Africa and Asia.
“Relevant authorities responded to a fire that broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, resulting from falling debris following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems,” the Government of Fujairah media office said in a statement.
Flights have begun taking off from airports in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but many are still stranded in the Middle East while the situation unfolds.
And in cricket England Lions’ tour to Abu Dhabi was cancelled ahead of the first game because of the uncertainty across the UAE, which has been hit by strikes from Iran and its allies.
The ATP added: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our players, staff and tournament personnel is our priority.”
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