Félix Auger-Aliassime got safely out of Dubai just before airspace was shut
After competing in Dubai on Friday, Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime left on one of the last flights out of the city Saturday, just before it was
swept into a widening Middle East conflict and its busy airspace was closed
.
His agent, Olivier van Lindonk, confirmed to The Gazette that the 25-year-old Montrealer arrived in Indian Wells, Calif., where he is scheduled to compete in the BNP Paribas Open, one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar. He is set to practise there later Sunday.
Auger-Aliassime had been in the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He was the No. 1 seed entering the tournament and reached the semifinals before falling to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, 4-6, 2-6.
By Saturday, the country was embroiled in a regional conflict. After
Israel and the U.S. struck Iran
with missiles, killing the country’s supreme leader along with senior military leaders, Iran began retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region, aimed at Israel and U.S. allies, including the UAE, where the U.S. maintains military bases.
Dubai closed its airspace amid the turmoil, as luxury properties and hotels were also caught up in the fallout.
Video footage showed a fire at the Fairmont The Palm hotel later Saturday, with thick black smoke rising over the Palm Jumeirah district. Four people were injured in the hotel blaze, according to the BBC.
Another four people were wounded in an incident at Dubai International Airport, according to the Government of Dubai Media Office. The airport’s concourse sustained “minor damage,” officials said.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted a number of drones and missiles. It called the Iranian strikes a “blatant violation of national sovereignty and international law.”
U.S. President Donald Trump told the Daily Mail in a phone interview Sunday that military operations in Iran could continue for as long as four weeks.
Other tennis stars competing in Dubai, including former world No. 1 Medvedev, did not manage to leave. Tournament organizers have said extra accommodation has been provided for the players and staff amid the strikes.
As for Auger-Aliassime, he will feature at the BNP Paribas Open among a stacked field that includes Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
The singles draw takes place Monday at 3 p.m. local time. The main draw matches begin Wednesday and conclude March 15.
Write to Harry at hnorth@postmedia.com