War Disrupts Travel as Daniil Medvedev Undertakes a Seven-Hour Road Trip to Oman to Play at Indian Wells

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev had to endure a long and unusual journey before arriving at the BNP Paribas Open 2026 in Indian Wells, United States. Security concerns in the Middle East led to the closure of flight routes from Dubai, forcing him to seek an alternative route. Medvedev, who had just claimed the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title on Saturday 28 February 2026, became stranded in Dubai with two other Russian players, Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov. The trio had to depart the United Arab Emirates by land because airspace was closed amid tensions in the region. ‘We arrived in Oman by car. Some managed to reach there in four and a half hours; others drove as long as nine hours. We completed the journey in seven hours,’ Medvedev was quoted as saying by the Russian tennis media Bolshe Tennis on Friday 6 March 2026. The journey was not entirely smooth. Medvedev encountered a hiccup when the driver’s passport went missing mid-journey. He and his team continued to cross the border, while the driver returned to the UAE to locate the passport, which was eventually found in a parking area. ‘We continued on to Oman. We spent a night there. The next day we flew to Istanbul, spent a night in a hotel, and then flew to Los Angeles,’ Medvedev said. The 30-year-old added that the trip felt like an action movie. ‘If you hear this journey in detail, it’s certainly not something you would normally experience. It feels like you’re in a Hollywood film, crossing a border with other people, arriving in Oman for the first time.’ Medvedev further noted that he and his two compatriots were finally able to continue the journey together after arriving in Oman. ‘We arrived in Oman with Khachanov and Rublev separately, then flew to Istanbul and Los Angeles together,’ he said. At the BNP Paribas Open, Medvedev, the 11th seed, received a bye in the first round. He is scheduled to face Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the second round on Sunday 8 March 2026. Meanwhile, Rublev, the 12th seed, will meet Canadian Gabriel Diallo on the same day. Khachanov, the 16th seed, is scheduled to face Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca.