Flights From Fight: Tennis Amid the Iran War

"The negligence from ATP is crazy," a player told Bounces after a Challenger was aborted amid nearby explosions in the UAE.

Qualifying matches are underway this week at ATP-WTA 1000 Indian Wells, a tournament that bills itself as “Tennis Paradise” and attracts all the best players from both tours.

But the lower branches of professional tennis are always sprawling far beyond any “paradise,” nearly everywhere all at once—including onto the periphery of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran that has engulfed the entire Persian Gulf region in danger and uncertainty.

As War Erupts, Tennis Is Grounded in a New Reality

The Fujairah Open, a 50-level ATP Challenger event in Fujairah on the short east coast of the United Arab Emirates, began a day late but continued its play on Tuesday—at least for a short while.

In the middle of second round of qualifying matches, players, ball kids, and officials were suddenly told to run for cover. They fled with increasing urgency, as seen in footage of the match between Daniil Ostapenkov and Hayato Matsuoka.

“Everybody inside the lounge, please!” a woman’s voice could be heard shouting on the ATP’s stream of the match. “Go, go, go!”

“The negligence from ATP is crazy…ATP just don’t care about players.” -a player in Fujairah in an interview with Bounces.

To read the rest of this article, including an interview with a player in Fujairah and reactions from others—as well as updates on tennis players trying with and without success to make it out of Dubai—please subscribe to Bounces. -Ben