Tennis had just culminated the Middle East swing in Dubai when the USA and Israel began an assault on Iran. A number of countries in the area have been affected with airspace being shutdown and many people stranded there. It has caused a lot of trouble for many tennis players, including the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev who were in the UAE competing in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Medvedev took the title after his opponent in the final, Tallon Griekspoor, withdrew from injury.
The likes of Holger Rune has also been caught up in it, with the injury-stricken Dane out in Qatar continuing his rehabilitation from a nasty achilles injury. There have even been tennis tournaments which have been threatened. A Challenger tournament in UAE was halted after a fire broke out due to a drone was intercepted, suspending play.
MacMillan stranded in Middle East as Gauff shares update
Gauff herself was competing in the Middle East, first at the Qatar Open before reaching the semi-final stage of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The ATP event began a week later, giving the 21-year-old no problem in leaving with conflict having not begun at that stage.
“My coach, Gavin, is actually there right now, he’s currently stuck, and I don’t know if he’s going to make it. I just want him to be safe,” Gauff commented. “I don’t know when he can leave and things like that. We are just taking it day by day with him.”
Notoriously very outspoken, Gauff was quick to share her thoughts on the events currently occurring while sharing her heartfelt feelings towards the victims. “Yeah, I mean, I guess, first off, what’s happening is unfortunate, and my thoughts and prayers are out there for everyone affected, innocent lives being taken. I think it’s a lot of unnecessary violence going on.”
Coco Gauff celebrates point at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2026
She backed this up by confirming that she has never felt unsafe when visiting or competing in the region. “As for the Middle East, I have never personally felt unsafe there, playing tournaments or anything like that. I have never felt unsafe,” she confirmed. “I think what’s happening now, I guess people, maybe political experts could see it coming, but I think as far as a tennis player, no one would expect things to happen.”
A lot of success on the WTA Tour enjoyed by Gauff has come in the Middle East. She won the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while making the semi-final twice in Dubai, including the most recent outing. She will now turn her attention to the next task at hand. A former semi-finalist at Indian Wells, Gauff will be hoping to make it further this time with either Bianca Andreescu or Kamilla Rakhimova her first task back on home soil.