The ATP has drawn sharp criticism after charging low-ranked players €5,000 for a charter flight to leave the United Arab Emirates following the cancellation of Challenger tournaments amid regional tensions. The decision came after an air strike siren interrupted play in Fujairah, leading to safety concerns and disrupted travel. Players and advocates argue that the governing body should cover such costs given the circumstances beyond competitors' control.
Chaos erupted at the Fujairah Challenger when a warning siren sounded during the third set of a match between Japan's Hayato Matsuoka and Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov. Officials evacuated the venue after reports confirmed a fire at the nearby Fujairah Oil Terminal, caused by debris from an intercepted drone strike. The ATP promptly canceled both Challenger events in the area, but the subsequent handling of player evacuation fueled widespread outrage.
The ATP informed players of a potential charter flight from Muscat to Milan, with a stop in Egypt, at a cost of €5,000 per person—approximately $5,800. This fee, optional but presented amid limited commercial flight options due to regional missile and drone activity, stunned the tennis community. The Fujairah event offered a total prize purse of around $63,000, with first-round losers earning just $630, highlighting the financial strain on lower-ranked players.
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado expressed shock on X, stating, “5k per person? Good lord.” He added, “Players lose two weeks of tournaments, points, and prize money, and still have to pay 5k (or 10k if you have a coach with you) to leave the place. I guess the ATP can do a bit better?” Fellow journalist Adam Addicott noted the disparity: “Players who lost in R1 of this event received roughly 550 euros in prize money. Then they are asked if they would like to pay 5,000 euros to leave a country under missile threat from Iran……”
World No. 448 Laurent Lokoli criticized the ATP on X, saying, “Even the fact that it took so long to cancel the tournament is hard to understand, but on top of that, proposing a charter flight at €5000 per player makes you wonder if they’re ever aware of the financial struggles faced by players outside the top 250. It’s mind-blowing.” An unnamed player told journalist Ben Rothenberg, “The negligence from the ATP is crazy.”
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) issued a statement condemning the approach: “The PTPA has been deeply concerned by the decision to proceed with tournament play in Fujairah despite ongoing safety concerns. … We believe it is inappropriate for players to bear additional financial burdens resulting from circumstances beyond their control.”
Affected players included Ukrainian Vladyslav Orlov, who described hearing jets and seeing smoke nearby, and Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama, who shared footage of rising smoke from mountains 13 kilometers away. Australians Cruz Hewitt and Jason Kubler were among those stranded, while Russians Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov arranged their own travel to the United States via Turkey, leading to withdrawals from other events. Doubles player Harri Heliovaara reported being turned back at the Oman border.
