Competitors and officials evacuated the court during an ATP Challenger event in the United Arab Emirates after an Iranian drone attack ignited a blaze at an oil terminal situated approximately 10 kilometers away.
Two contests in Fujairah – located about 90 miles southeast of Dubai – were halted shortly after the city’s port was targeted early Tuesday. The ATP subsequently confirmed that all play for the day was called off.
A live broadcast on the ATP website depicted Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Russia’s Daniil Ostapenkov, along with the umpire and line judges, rushing off the court during the early stages of the third set.
Personnel overseeing the tournament could be heard issuing urgent instructions to clear the playing area.
“Relevant authorities addressed a fire that ignited in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, caused by falling debris following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems,” stated the media office of the Fujairah Government in an official communication.
Over the past three days, Iranian drone and missile assaults have been directed towards the UAE, retaliating against US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The statement further noted that defence teams were still “working to contain the incident.” No injuries were reported.
“The health, safety, and general welfare of our athletes, staff, and tournament personnel remains our foremost concern,” the ATP conveyed to BBC Sport.
“Following discussions with local authorities and security consultants, all games have been suspended for the remainder of the day as a preventative action.
“We are continuously monitoring the circumstances vigilantly and will issue additional information when suitable.”
