Chaos replaced competition in the United Arab Emirates this week. What began as a routine Challenger match in Fujairah ended with players sprinting off court as an air strike siren echoed through the venue – and it didn’t take long for the fallout to reach the ATP.

The match between Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov was deep into the third set at the Fujairah Challenger when a warning siren sounded. Officials shouted for everyone to get to safety. Moments later, reports confirmed a fire at the Fujairah Oil Terminal after debris from an intercepted drone strike ignited an explosion. The tournament was halted immediately. But while the scenes from court were alarming, what followed sparked even greater outrage.

After canceling both Challenger events in Fujairah, the Association of Tennis Professionals informed players it was “potentially organizing” a charter flight from Muscat to Milan, with a stop in Egypt. The cost? €5,000 per person – roughly $5,800. The reaction online was swift.
Utterly shocked by the amount, fans and journalists on X openly criticized the governing body. Renowned tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote, “5k per person? Good lord.”

He followed it up with: “This e-mail was indeed sent to all players asking for 5k euros to leave the country. Players lose two weeks of tournaments, points, and prize money, and still have to pay 5k (or 10k if you have a coach with you) to leave the place. I guess the ATP can do a bit better?”

Journalist Adam Addicott echoed the sentiment, pointing out the stark financial contrast: “Players who lost in R1 of this event received roughly 550 euros in prize money. Then they are asked if they would like to pay 5,000 euros to leave a country under missile threat from Iran……”

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At Challenger 50 level, margins are already razor-thin. The Fujairah event carried a total purse of around $63,000. The singles champion was set to earn $9,500 and 50 ranking points. The runner-up would receive $5,500. Further down the draw, a semifinalist stood to make $3,145, a quarter-finalist $1,800, and a round-of-16 player $1,010. First-round losers were scheduled to collect just $630. In qualifying, some rounds offered ranking points but little to no prize money.

Against that backdrop, a €5,000 evacuation flight is staggering. For many players ranked between 100 and 500 in the world, that figure could wipe out – or exceed – an entire week’s earnings before taxes, coaching fees, and travel expenses are even considered. Even the tournament champion would have seen more than half of their gross prize money disappear into the airfare alone.

The email did not state that the charter was mandatory. But with disrupted commercial flights and uncertainty surrounding regional airspace after missile and drone activity, including strikes that forced the shutdown of Dubai International Airport during the closing stages of the ATP 500 event, options appeared limited.

Overnight, video footage of players fleeing the Fujairah courts went viral – a nightmare scenario for any governing body. Although ATP later confirmed the cancellation of both Challenger tournaments via email circulated among players. But for many within the tennis community, the bigger question wasn’t about logistics. It was about responsibility. When safety is on the line, should the bill land on the players?

What do others have to say about ATP’s decision?

If the evacuation fee left fans stunned, the reaction from inside the locker room has been even sharper. Lower-ranked players – many already navigating the financial tightrope of Challenger-level tennis – did not hold back. World No. 448 Laurent Lokoli vented his frustration on X, questioning both the delay in canceling the event and the €5,000 charter proposal.

“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 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.”

Another unnamed player echoed that sentiment in comments to journalist Ben Rothenberg’s Bounces, bluntly stating the situation was hard to comprehend. He didn’t mince words, later adding: “The negligence from the ATP is crazy.”

The backlash wasn’t limited to individual players. The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) issued a statement condemning the ATP’s handling of the situation. “The PTPA has been deeply concerned by the decision to proceed with tournament play in Fujairah despite ongoing safety concerns,” the statement 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.” For an organization built around player advocacy, the message was clear: safety costs should not fall on competitors.

The fear wasn’t hypothetical. Ukrainian player Vladyslav Orlov, who had just qualified for the main draw, described hearing “the sounds of jets flying here and there” during play. “There is smoke going here next to the mountain, so (it is) not very safe here right now,” he posted.

Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama shared footage from his hotel room showing smoke rising from mountains roughly 13 kilometers from the tournament site after players and officials were evacuated. Australian players were also caught in the chaos. Cruz Hewitt and Jason Kubler – the latter a recent Australian Open doubles finalist – were among those stranded in the UAE as they waited for clarity on exit options.

Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and fellow Russians Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov reportedly sourced their own charter route to the United States via Turkey after being stuck in Dubai. The travel disruption has already had competitive consequences – Medvedev and Rublev were forced to withdraw from the Eisenhower Cup exhibition ahead of Indian Wells.

Doubles star Harri Heliovaara revealed in a blog post that he and his team were stopped at the Oman border and had to return to Dubai to reassess their plans, another reminder of the uncertainty surrounding travel routes in the region.

What has emerged is more than a travel dispute. For top-ranked players, private charters may be inconvenient but manageable. For those grinding through the Challenger circuit, a €5,000 evacuation fee can represent weeks – if not months of earnings. What are your thoughts on ATP’s $5.8K decision?