'It's mind-blowing': ATP under fire for $8.3k proposal amid cancellation of UAE Challenger

Players and officials were seen running off court after hearing explosions in the UAE.

The ATP has been slammed for failing to prioritise player safety in the midst of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

On Saturday night (AEDT), Iran fired missiles and drones towards Israel in an act of retaliation, but US bases located in parts of the Middle East also became targets, bringing countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan into the conflict.

The ATP 500 Dubai tournament was in its last stages as the strikes commenced, resulting in players such as Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev being left stranded as a result of Dubai International Airport shutting down.

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Two ATP Challenger events in Fujairah, UAE, were scheduled for this week, involving Aussie trio Jason Kubler, James McCabe, and Cruz Hewitt.

Overnight, the ATP's worst nightmare came true, as video footage emerged of players and officials running off court after hearing explosions. It was later confirmed that there was a fire at an Oil refinery nearby caused by debris from drones.

The ATP released a statement confirming the event's immediate cancellation, obtained by an Instagram post from world No.701 Ilya Ivashka.

"Dear players, both Challenger tournaments here (Fujairah 1, Fujairah 2) are now officially CANCELLED," the email read.

"The ATP is potentially organising a charter flight on Thursday March 5th, from Muscat (Oman). Departure at 3pm, going to Milan, stopping on the way in Egypt. The cost is 5,000 euros per person. In case someone would be interested, please send me a WhatsApp message asap."

But with lower-ranked players already suffering financial stress, world No.448 Laurent Lokoli vented his fury, given that the ATP had the opportunity to cancel the tournament on the weekend when the war broke out.

"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 (A$8,300) 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," he wrote on X.

"The negligence from the ATP is crazy," one player told journalist Ben Rothenberg's Bounces.

A statement from the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) condemned the ATP's decision to charge players a fee to depart the UAE.

"The PTPA has been deeply concerned by the decision to proceed with tournament play in Fujairah despite ongoing safety concerns," it read.

"Players were asked to compete under difficult and uncertain circumstances. Now, in the aftermath of cancelling the tournament, the ATP is offering players the option of a charter flight at 5,000 euros per person, to be paid out of pocket, so they can leave the country. We believe it is inappropriate for players to bear additional financial burdens resulting from circumstances beyond their control."

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