British doubles champion Henry Patten has returned to the UK after a harrowing week stranded in Dubai during the escalation of the Middle East conflict.
The 29-year-old was unable to leave the United Arab Emirates immediately following the Dubai Championships final as airspace closures disrupted travel across the region.
Patten and his playing partner Harri Heliovaara were among a group of 40 players and officials caught in the uncertainty as Iranian missiles targeted the area.
Explosions and fighter jets
The ordeal began last Saturday, when a fighter jet roared over the centre court just moments before the pair were due to contest the final.
Despite the unsettled atmosphere, the Grand Slam champions secured their second ATP title in as many weeks before the reality of their predicament set in.
Patten recounted hearing explosions from his hotel room while watching everyday life continue surrealistically around him.
Desperate to return home, the Briton spent 14 hours in a car attempting to cross the border into Oman, only for the journey to prove unsuccessful.
The situation intensified when he witnessed a drone strike a US consulate building located just minutes from the airport.
Anxious journey home
Eventually securing a flight back to London via Cairo and Rome, the self-confessed nervous flyer faced a terrifying departure.
“It was up to me to pluck up the courage to get on that flight out of Dubai airport the day after I saw the drone hit the US consulate building about five minutes away,” Patten told BBC Sport.
“It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, to say the least, but I didn’t really have much of a choice.”
The tennis star sat beside a non-English speaking passenger during the initial, tense leg of the extraction.
“We just looked at each other and gave each other a little nod and we were on our way. But certainly the first couple of hours on that flight were the longest couple of hours of a flight I have ever experienced.”
Surreal scenes at player hotel
Prior to his departure, the ATP had extended accommodation bookings and covered expenses for the stranded group.
Patten described a strange contrast between the geopolitical violence and the scene at the player hotel, where others continued to swim and play golf.
“If I didn’t have access to my phone, to the news and social media, I really don’t think I would have known there was a war going on,” he added.
“I would sit in my hotel room and watch people going to the pool. I would go to the pool.”
While Heliovaara remained with his family, Patten admitted the flight out was a significant mental challenge.
“Obviously as a tennis player I have to deal with that phobia an awful lot, and I’m generally pretty successful at it, but that flight was probably a step too far. I wouldn’t want to do that again.”
Hungarian tennis player Panna Udvardy has revealed she received “disturbing” threats, including a picture of a gun, warning her family would be harmed unless she lost a match.
The world number 95 said the messages arrived via WhatsApp on her personal phone on Thursday night from an unknown number.
Along with images of her family members, the sender claimed to know where her relatives lived and what cars they drove.
Police protection deployed
Following the threats, the Hungarian consulate in Turkey dispatched three police officers to protect the 27-year-old during her WTA 125 quarter-final in Antalya.
Security measures were also implemented at the homes of her parents and grandmother to ensure their safety.
Udvardy eventually lost the match 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 to Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina on Friday.
“The person told me that if I didn’t lose my match today, they would harm members of my family,” Udvardy wrote on Instagram.
“They even sent photos of my family members and a picture of a gun. It was honestly very scary to receive something like this.”
Wider concerns for player safety
The incident comes just days after Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini reported receiving similar threats prior to a qualifying match for Indian Wells.
It is understood the WTA is aware of several players being targeted and is investigating how private contact details have been obtained.
The Budapest-born player confirmed she has filed a formal police report regarding the extortion attempt.
“Even as athletes or public figures, it’s not acceptable to receive threats against our families, especially not on our private phone numbers,” Udvardy added.
“We should not normalise abuse like this in sport. No player should have to deal with something like this.”
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner have boosted the star power at Indian Wells by accepting wildcards to compete in the men’s doubles draw.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will pair up with Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Californian desert.
Sinner, meanwhile, is set to reunite with big-serving American Reilly Opelka.
Both marquee pairings have been handed formidable challenges in their respective opening rounds.
Grand Slam champions handed difficult draws
Djokovic and Tsitsipas have been pitted against the defending champions and third seeds, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
It marks the Serbian’s first ATP doubles appearance since playing alongside Fernando Verdasco in Doha last February.
Sinner and Opelka, who have been placed in the opposite half of the draw, must navigate past top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The duo have success as a partnership, having previously captured the title in Atlanta in 2021.
While Djokovic has lifted the singles trophy at Indian Wells a joint-record five times, he has not ventured past the quarter-finals since 2016.
British contenders and unusual alliances
The doubles field features strong British interest, led by reigning Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.
Neal Skupski, ranked world number one in the discipline, is seeded fourth alongside American partner Christian Harrison.
Elsewhere, two-time singles finalist Daniil Medvedev has formed a surprise partnership with American youngster Learner Tien.
Tien holds a shock 3-1 head-to-head singles record over the Russian, including victories at the Australian Open in 2025 and 2026.
It was kind of random, because I don’t think he plays that much doubles and neither do I, so I think we’ll just go out and have fun.
Learner Tien on partnering Daniil Medvedev
Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina teams up with Arthur Fils, with the Frenchman continuing his return from a recurring back injury.
The winning team in California is set to share a prize pot of nearly $468,200 (£370,000).
Tennis players have criticised the ATP for allowing a tournament in the United Arab Emirates to proceed while the region was under missile attack.
Explosions were heard outside a hotel in Dubai as the geopolitical situation in the Middle East escalated rapidly.
Competitors at an ATP Challenger tournament in Fujairah did not expect to take to the court after the UAE was targeted by Iranian missiles.
However, they were initially informed the event in the port city, a major global oil storage hub, was safe to continue.
McCabe questions safety decision
James McCabe was practising on court when fighter jets flew overhead and explosions resonated nearby.
“We expected to stay in shelter because that’s what the governments were advising,” the Australian told BBC Sport.
The region faced instability following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which prompted retaliatory action.
Despite the volatile atmosphere, the governing body decided on Monday to continue with the schedule following discussions with local authorities regarding viability.
Tournament cancelled after oil terminal fire
Panic ensued on Tuesday as athletes fled the courts when a nearby oil terminal was ignited by debris from a drone attack.
The event was subsequently cancelled, along with a second scheduled tournament at the same venue.
While most participants scrambled to find flights home, Russia’s Marat Sharipov and Uzbekistan’s Sergey Fomin remain stranded in the country along with their coaches.
McCabe, who has since returned to Sydney, expressed disbelief at the initial judgement call to play.
Financial strain on lower-ranked stars
“I don’t understand how it was decided the tournament was safe to go to in the first place,” McCabe stated.
The 21-year-old admitted he would have withdrawn immediately had the competition continued.
“After the oil refinery was hit, it was still in the air that we could be going back on the court the next day – that was the scary part,” he added.
This disruption has caused significant stress for players largely ranked outside the top 200, who often struggle financially to sustain their careers on the tour.
The ATP insisted safety was their priority and that extra security measures had been implemented behind closed doors.
In a statement, the organisation said it remains in “close contact” with those still affected by the travel chaos.
Novak Djokovic believes Serena Williams will return to professional tennis and has tipped the 23-time Grand Slam champion to potentially feature at Wimbledon.
The Serbian world number one addressed mounting speculation regarding the American icon while speaking ahead of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Williams has recently been reinstated to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) testing pool, a mandatory step for any retired player seeking a comeback.
“I think she’s coming back,” said Djokovic.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back.”
Wimbledon venue mooted for comeback
While admitting he was unsure if a return would involve singles or doubles, the 24-time major winner suggested the grass courts of SW19 as a logical destination.
Both legends have lifted the Wimbledon trophy on seven occasions during their illustrious careers.
“Where and how, singles, doubles, we don’t know, and if I’m in her position, I would hide it too,” Djokovic added.
“Yeah, everybody is excited, and it’s definitely something that’s very highly anticipated.”
Evolving away from the sport
Williams originally stepped away from the sport following the 2022 US Open, stating she was “evolving away” from tennis to focus on her family.
The 44-year-old gave birth to her second child the following year but has remained close to the tour, supporting her sister Venus.
To be eligible for competition, the former world number one had to provide daily whereabouts and undergo random testing for six months.
Her official reinstatement was confirmed late last month, though she initially denied plans to compete via social media in December.
Speculation mounts after practice footage
Despite those earlier denials, footage emerged this week of the younger Williams sister practising with current world number 96 Alycia Parks.
Djokovic theorised that a doubles partnership with Venus might offer a pathway back into competitive action before a potential singles campaign.
“It would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans, for sure,” he concluded.
“She is one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back too.”
The ATP has arranged fully funded charter flights to Indian Wells for stranded players after regional conflict caused widespread travel disruption across the Gulf.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev were unable to reach California in time for Tuesday’s Eisenhower Cup exhibition.
Widespread flight cancellations have hit the region following air strikes involving the US, Israel and Iran.
The ATP also confirmed that a Challenger Tour event in the United Arab Emirates was abruptly halted on Tuesday due to a security alert.
Emergency travel measures
Players and tournament personnel were evacuated from the courts in Fujairah as the security situation escalated.
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) revealed that the governing body initially offered charter flights at a cost of €5,000 (£4,300) per person.
Following pressure to ensure financial stability was not compromised by safety concerns, the ATP agreed to cover the full cost of evacuation.
The tour stated the flight was "fully funded by the ATP to assist with departures from the region at no cost to players".
Players left stranded
Belarusian Ilya Ivashka confirmed on social media that all personnel from the Fujairah tournament were being evacuated free of charge.
"Just got confirmation that all the people from the tournament in Fujairah will be evacuated with no cost," Ivashka wrote.
"Everything completely covered. Class act @atptour."
Medvedev, the world number four, had recently won the Dubai Championships but was forced to miss the tie-break event alongside Mirra Andreeva.
The 2021 US Open winner and Rublev are both seeded for the main draw at Indian Wells and are scheduled to play their first singles matches on Friday.
Concerns from the locker room
Current US Open champion Coco Gauff revealed her coach, Gavin MacMillan, remained stuck in the Middle East.
"He’s currently stuck, and I don’t know if he’s going to make it," Gauff said.
"I just want him to be safe."
Defending Indian Wells champion Jack Draper managed to leave Dubai on one of the final commercial flights before the disruption.
"I just hope the players and all the staff within the ATP are able to make it here," the Briton said.
"The main thing is that they’re safe."
Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini says she was sent a photograph of a gun and received threats against her family before her qualifying match at Indian Wells.
The 26-year-old believes the intimidation was an attempt to manipulate the outcome of the contest for betting purposes.
Stefanini revealed in an Instagram video that she received the messages via WhatsApp prior to facing Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva at the BNP Paribas Open.
“They threatened me and my family and named my parents, the place where I was born and they sent me a photo of a gun,” she said.
‘Criminal territory’
Despite the distressing circumstances, the world number 138 fulfilled the fixture in California but eventually fell to a three-set defeat.
She immediately alerted the WTA, who provided increased security for the duration of her stay at the tournament.
“I’m making this video and explaining what happened because I don’t think it’s right to put me under this pressure and unease before a match,” Stefanini added.
Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, described the incident as “intolerable”.
“Sending images of weapons, knowledge of personal information and intimidation toward an athlete marks an increase of disturbing quality that doesn’t have anything to do with sports,” said Binaghi.
He warned that those attempting to influence matches through fear had entered “criminal territory” and deserved an immediate legal response.
Online abuse investigations
This incident follows a similar threat made via social media to another Italian player, Mattia Bellucci.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency routinely collaborates on investigations regarding potential match-fixing.
Tennis authorities are also currently working to employ artificial intelligence to block abusive comments directed at athletes.
The WTA and International Tennis Federation reported last year that they had tracked 8,000 online posts labelled as abusive, violent or threatening in 2024.
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff say they have drawn inspiration from figure skater Alysa Liu’s dramatic journey from teenage burnout to Olympic gold in Milano-Cortina.
The American skater stunned the sport by retiring aged 16 following the 2022 Beijing Games, citing mental exhaustion.
However, she returned to the ice to claim a historic gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Games last month, ending a 20-year wait for an American champion in the women’s event.
A psychological triumph
Swiatek, speaking ahead of the Indian Wells tournament, highlighted the mental resilience required for such a comeback.
“I think overall what happened in figure skating was super interesting, from a psychological point of view,” the Polish world number one said.
“I saw Liu winning when actually she had some troubles, like before she was burned out and she had to stop.”
The four-time major winner noted a distinct shift in Liu’s demeanour during her victorious performance in Italy.
“Now she seems like everything she does, she does to have fun and to really show her amazing skills in a way that makes her happy,” Swiatek added.
“I haven’t spoken to her… but it’s really inspiring. I’ll remember it for a long time.”
Relatable pressures
Liu returned to competition in 2024 with greater creative control over her music and routines, capturing the world title in Boston before her Olympic success.
Gauff admitted she could relate to the intense scrutiny, having burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old qualifier at Wimbledon in 2019.
“I think her whole story was super inspiring and I could highly relate as someone who was very young put into a sport,” the US Open champion said.
While Gauff clarified she has not experienced burnout herself, she acknowledged the mental fatigue elite sport can induce.
“There are times you’re mentally just tired of it and you feel like you’re doing stuff and you don’t know why,” she explained.
“I was happy to see her be that voice saying the unsaid things that athletes think but are maybe scared to say.”