Coco Gauff arrived at Indian Wells preparing for another big run, but concerns off the court have taken center stage. The world No. 4 revealed that her coach, Gavin MacMillan, is currently stuck in the Middle East after airspace closures disrupted travel following the recent tensions in the region.

Speaking during her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff shared:

“Yeah, my coach, Gavin, is actually there right now. He’s currently stuck, and I don’t know if he’s going to make it. I just want him to be safe. I don’t know when he can leave and things like that. We are just taking it day by day with him.”

The United Arab Emirates shut its airspace at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, leaving several ATP players, staff members, and officials stranded in Dubai after the ATP 500 event. Coco Gauff herself had been in the region earlier, reaching the semifinals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai before traveling to California for Indian Wells.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Gauff said she has never personally felt unsafe while competing in the Middle East.

“Yeah, I have never felt unsafe there. I’ve never really felt unsafe in a lot of parts of the world,” she said. “Violence can happen, but it can happen in different forms. For example, in the U.S., we do have a lot of mass shootings, and there’s always uncertainty with that.”

Several players also weighed in on the situation as travel disruptions affected members of the tennis community. Carlos Alcaraz admitted that the sudden escalation caught many by surprise.

“It was surprising because a couple of days or one week before we were all playing there, and all of a sudden everything happened,” he said. “Seeing a few players stuck there, couldn’t travel at all, it’s been a little bit worrying, at least for me.”

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner echoed similar thoughts.

“There are certain things we cannot control, really, and this is definitely one of them,” he said. “I obviously hope that everyone is safe and they can come here to play or also to go home.”

American star Ben Shelton also revealed that the situation has become a frequent topic of discussion among players.

“It’s tough, for sure. This last tour, I had friends playing in Mexico with a lot of conflict, friends in the Middle East still there, people that are stuck over there,” Shelton said. “We talk about it all the time, obviously praying for all the people, families affected, and people who are stuck in tough situations right now.”

As per a recent update from the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority on X, “Air defence systems are currently responding to a missile threat.”

Amid all this, there was some relief as Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev eventually managed to leave the UAE, traveling through Oman before flying from Istanbul to Los Angeles. Gauff admitted she felt fortunate to have departed the region before the situation escalated further.

What exactly did Daniil Medvedev and Coco Gauff say after their safe escape from Dubai?

Speaking on this, Coco Gauff added, “I don’t think a lot of hate is being towards the Middle East, but it’s just a lot of unfortunate circumstances that are happening right now,” she said. “But I am thankful that I was able to get out of that before things turned to where it is now.”

The escalating tensions in the Middle East caused major travel disruptions for players leaving Dubai, forcing several stars to find alternative routes to reach Indian Wells. Among them was Daniil Medvedev, who eventually arrived in California after a long and complicated journey that stretched close to two days.

Speaking ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, Medvedev admitted the trip had been exhausting but suggested the situation was not quite as dramatic as it appeared online.

“The trip was long and a bit complicated in terms of logistics. It was difficult to find a way out of the situation – basically to figure out how to fly to New York,” he explained. “But we found a solution, and now we’re here. Right now I’m very tired. In total, it was probably about two days of travelling – driving, flying, and everything else.”

The 2021 US Open champion revealed that one of the escape routes involved leaving the United Arab Emirates by car and crossing into neighboring Oman, where flights were still operating. The drive itself took around seven hours and even included an unexpected delay at the border.

“We drove to Oman by car. For us, it was maybe around seven hours. Our driver couldn’t find his passport, so we crossed the border and then had to turn around and go back to the Emirates,” Medvedev recalled. “He found the passport in the parking lot, and then we returned again to Oman.”

After spending the night in Oman, Medvedev continued the journey with flights to Istanbul and then Los Angeles, the closest major airport to Indian Wells. He was not alone during the trip, as fellow Russian players Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev were also navigating the same travel challenges.

“When we traveled to Oman, we all went separately, but once we arrived there, we were together. We then flew together to Istanbul and from Istanbul also together to Los Angeles,” Medvedev said.

Despite the physical toll, the world No. 11 said the camaraderie of his colleagues made the journey more manageable. For now, both Daniil Medvedev and Coco Gauff have shifted their focus back to tennis as Indian Wells gets underway. Medvedev will begin his campaign against the winner of Alejandro Tabilo and Spanish wild card Rafael Jodar, while Gauff prepares for another demanding stretch on the tour. She will start her campaign against Kamilla Rakhimova. Amid all this, the Americans’ 2026 schedule continues to expand.

Coco Gauff has already been confirmed for the Stuttgart Open during the clay-court swing in April, where she will once again attempt to improve on her previous quarterfinal runs at the German event. How many titles do you think she can win in 2026?