The Russian player is among several athletes stranded in Dubai following Iranian missile strikes.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winner Daniil Medvedev remains calm despite being stranded in Dubai following Iranian airstrikes.
Runner-up Tallon Griekspoor and Andrey Rublev are also still in Dubai after the UAE announced the temporary closure of its airspace on Sunday.
Medvedev, who claimed Saturday’s final by walkover, said he is unsure when he will be able to leave the UAE. All three players are scheduled to compete at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, which begins on Wednesday.
“The situation is unusual, but basically, the only thing is that the airspace is closed,” Medvedev told Bolshe Tennis in Russian, according to tennisuptodate.com.
“So, no one knows when we’ll be able to fly out. It’s unclear how long this will last,” he said.
“We’re just waiting to see what happens in the coming hours and days. The airport reopening keeps getting pushed back gradually.”
Medvedev enjoyed perhaps one of his best tournaments in Dubai this past week, winning all his matches in straight sets before claiming the trophy after Tallon Griekspoor was forced to withdraw from the final due to an injury sustained in his semi-final victory.
The Russian said he is handling the situation well and remaining calm amid the unsettling developments in the Middle East.
“On the court I’m very emotional, but in real life, it might actually help me to be more emotional at times,” he explained.
“For me, everything is normal. 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,” Medvedev said.
He is scheduled to compete in Tuesday’s Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition at Indian Wells, where he will team up with rising Russian WTA star Mirra Andreeva.
Fellow Russian Andrey Rublev is also set to participate in the event, partnering with American star Amanda Anisimova.
Meanwhile, the other singles semi-finalist from Dubai, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, left the city on one of the final flights Saturday, according to the Montreal Gazette.
His agent, Olivier van Lindonk, told the newspaper that Auger-Aliassime had arrived in Indian Wells and was scheduled to practice on Sunday.
