DANIIL MEDVEDEV STRANDED IN DUBAI; ATP WORKING ON URGENT PLAYER EVACUATION PLAN
Medvedev confirms he is safe at a friend's house while the ATP assesses airline schedules for a safe return to the tour.
Daniil Medvedev, the former US Open champ, says he’s one of just a handful of players and team members the ATP Tour is helping get out of Dubai. Travel is a mess right now because of the growing conflict in the Middle East.
On Monday, Medvedev reposted a report from Bolshe, a Russian tennis outlet, on his Instagram. He let everyone know he’s safe and hanging out at a friend’s apartment in Dubai. He’d just won the ATP event there last week, but after that, flights started getting cancelled left and right.
The ATP put out a statement saying the health, safety, and well-being of their players, staff, and tournament personnel always come first. They confirmed that only a small group of players and team members are still in Dubai after the ATP 500 event wrapped up. The affected players and their teams are staying in the official tournament hotels, and the ATP says they’re making sure everyone’s immediate needs are taken care of.
Medvedev and the others are supposed to play next at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Main-draw matches start on Wednesday.
The ATP said they’re in direct contact with everyone involved, along with tournament organisers and security advisors. Right now, they’re still figuring out travel plans based on airline schedules and official guidance. The ATP promises they’ll keep supporting players and teams so they can leave safely as soon as possible.
It’s not just tennis that’s affected. England's and Pakistan’s men’s development cricket teams were also in the UAE over the weekend, but their match got cancelled on Sunday. Youth basketball players ran into travel problems, too, after a EuroLeague tournament in the region was called off.
Lots of other sports events are up in the air. The Asian Champions League football matches and the Qatari league are both on hold for now.
Formula 1’s governing body also said on Monday that “safety and well-being” are its main concerns as they review upcoming races in the region.
HISTORY ON LINE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEGINS INDIAN WELLS RUN TO SNATCH FEDERER’S TITLE RECORD
Is Djokovic the GOAT? Discover how Novak plans to break Roger Federer’s Indian Wells title record in the 2026 California desert.
Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 17th run at Indian Wells, chasing a sixth Masters title in California. The draw hasn’t done him any favours, but plenty of experts still see him as a real threat to win it all.
He’s coming in hot, too. Djokovic kicked off the season by making it to the Australian Open final, only falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the very end.
There’s even more at stake this year. If Djokovic lifts the trophy at Indian Wells, he breaks a tournament record that Roger Federer currently shares with him.
Now, Federer’s name is all over the Indian Wells record books. Even after retiring in 2022, he still holds eight records there. You see his name next to most finals played, most matches played and won, and the most editions entered.
Right now, Federer and Djokovic are tied for most titles at Indian Wells, each with five. They also share a couple of other records, but this year, Djokovic has a shot at pulling ahead. If he wins, he grabs that title record outright, which would leave Federer with seven Indian Wells records to himself.
When it comes to head-to-head battles at Indian Wells, Djokovic has always had Federer’s number. They’ve faced off three times on those courts, and Djokovic came out on top every single time.
Here’s how some of the big records at Indian Wells stack up:
Most titles: Djokovic 5, Federer 5
Most finals: Federer 9
Most consecutive titles: Federer (2004–2006) and Djokovic (2014–2016), both with 3.
Most consecutive finals: Federer (two separate runs of 3), Djokovic (2014–2016)
Most matches played: Federer 79
Most matches won: Federer 66
Most consecutive matches won: Djokovic: 19
Most editions played: Federer 18.
Oldest champion: Federer (35 years, 7 months, 11 days in 2017)
So, while Federer still dominates the record books, Djokovic has a real chance to add another chapter to the rivalry and maybe take home another record for himself.
THE 3.3.26 DATE: UNEARTHING THE ROMANTIC DETAILS BEHIND ARYNA SABALENKA’S PROPOSAL IN CALIFORNIA
Aryna Sabalenka is engaged: Read about the 3.3.26 proposal to Georgios Frangulis and the reactions from Gauff, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are just a couple of the tennis stars who rushed to celebrate Aryna Sabalenka’s big news: she’s engaged to Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka dropped the announcement on social media right before kicking off her run at Indian Wells. As the world number one, she’ll jump straight into the second round, waiting to face either Alycia Parks or Himeno Sakatsume. But honestly, her focus seems split lately, and who can blame her? Off the court, she’s soaking up all the love and congratulations pouring in from fellow players.
She posted a video of the proposal on Instagram, adding a simple, sweet caption: “You & me, forever, 3.3.26.” Coco Gauff chimed in with a quick "Congratulations", and Alcaraz went all out with a stretched-out “Congratulatiooooons!” Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova also sent their best, and even Novak Djokovic shared some love. Sabalenka’s close friend Paula Badosa joined in, and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn couldn’t resist commenting either.
Now, with all the excitement swirling around her engagement, you have to wonder, can Sabalenka keep her head in the game at Indian Wells? Wedding plans are probably swirling in her mind, but if history tells us anything, it’s that Sabalenka knows how to lock in when it matters. Her serve is as deadly as ever, and she’s already put together an 11-1 win-loss record this season, with two finals under her belt.
She kicked things off with a title in Brisbane, then hit a snag in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. No doubt, she’s itching to get back to her winning ways in California. The hard courts there play right into her strengths, and all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface. Plus, she’s been a finalist at Indian Wells twice, so she’s got plenty of motivation to finally go all the way.
The field is stacked, so it won’t be easy. But honestly, if anyone’s primed for a breakthrough at Indian Wells, it’s Sabalenka.
