Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Last Saturday, just as players were preparing to step onto the central court in Dubai for the final, Britain’s Grand Slam doubles champion Henry Patten noticed something unusual—a fighter jet flying overhead. From that moment, he realized this week would be far from ordinary. Patten and his doubles partner Harri Heliovaara were among about 40 players, officials, and media personnel stranded in the United Arab Emirates after the country was struck by Iranian missile attacks amidst escalating conflict in the Middle East.
During his prolonged stay in Dubai, Patten experienced firsthand the tension engulfing the city; explosions could be heard at the player hotel, and he endured a 14-hour car journey attempting, unsuccessfully, to cross from the UAE into Oman. Eventually, he managed to secure a flight back to London, routing through Cairo and Rome. Reflecting on the experience, Patten recounted the anxiety of boarding the plane, especially given his well-known fear of flying. “It was up to me to pluck up the courage to get on that flight out of Dubai airport the day after I saw the drone hit the US consulate building about five minutes away,” he told BBC Sport. The flight itself was one of the most challenging for him, particularly sharing the journey with an Egyptian passenger who didn’t speak English, leading to silent nods rather than conversation as they endured the tense hours together.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Patten and Heliovaara clinched their second ATP title in as many weeks by winning the doubles final in Dubai. However, their return was complicated by delays, something they had anticipated. Patten described Heliovaara as an “aviation geek,” and the pair prepared themselves for uncertainty. The ATP extended hotel stays and covered meal expenses as conflict intensified in neighboring regions. While everyday life continued for some nearby—golfers played on adjacent courses—explosions and attacks happened close enough to be impossible to ignore. Patten shared, “If I didn’t have access to my phone, to the news and social media, I really don’t think I would have known there was a war going on.” He described watching people going to the pool and enjoying the hotel’s amenities with Heli and his family, portraying a semblance of normality amidst the turmoil.
The situation improved when Emirates airline representatives appeared at the hotel, offering flights that had gradually become available. Although European flights had been booked by the time they reached Patten, he eventually secured an 8am departure via Cairo the following morning. The ATP Tour faced criticism from some players over whether the week’s Fujairah Challenger event should have been canceled sooner. Patten expressed understanding of the challenges involved, noting, “Realistically, I’m not sure what they could have done. No-one really saw that level of escalation coming.” He commended the ATP representatives tasked with managing the welfare of dozens in a conflict zone but expressed frustration about how some communications were handled, particularly a CEO’s call pressuring an immediate decision on an unconfirmed chartered plane. Patten concluded by emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the lack of crisis management on the ground, underscoring the difficulties faced by the tour amid geopolitical tensions in Dubai
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.