Play at the Fujairah Challenger tournament in the UAE Gulf has been canceled due to falling debris from a drone intercept.
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Published March 3, 2026
The ATP Challenger Tennis Tournament in the United Arab Emirates has been suspended due to a “red alert” linked to attacks by Iran on targets in the Gulf region, triggered in response to attacks by the United States and Israel.
On Tuesday, falling debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at an oil field about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the men’s second-division world circuit venue.
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Matches at the Fujairah Challenger tournament in the UAE’s eastern Gulf city of Fujairah have been called off for the rest of the day in line with established safety protocols.
“Following consultation with local authorities and safety advisors, the remainder of the day’s matches have been canceled as a precautionary measure,” ATP said in a statement.
Videos on social media showed two athletes, Belarus’ Daniil Ostapenkov and Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka, rushing to evacuate after the announcement.
“Just finished the second round match in Fujairah, but today’s match is suspended,” Ukrainian player Vladislav Orlov said on Instagram. “While we were playing, we could hear jets everywhere. And there’s smoke here next to the mountains, so it’s not very safe right now.”
Iran has fired missiles and drones at several countries around the Middle East since Saturday in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks that have killed at least 787 people across Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Iranian attacks have increasingly targeted oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf region, raising concerns about disruption to global energy markets.
It has also spurred condemnation from regional countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which on Tuesday described the Iranian firing as a “blatant invasion and gross violation of national sovereignty and international law.”
The UAE has intercepted 186 Iranian missiles since February 28, when the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began, according to a statement from the country’s defense ministry.
“Of these, 172 missiles were destroyed, 13 fell into the sea and one fell on Iranian territory,” the ministry said, adding that 755 Iranian drones were intercepted and 57 fell on UAE territory.
According to the ministry, at least three people have been killed and 68 others slightly injured in the attacks so far in the UAE.
“The ministry confirmed that the UAE reserves the full right to respond to the escalation of this situation and take all necessary measures to protect its territory, people and population in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities.”
