Aussie young gun Cruz Hewitt and a host of tennis stars have been caught up in scary scenes in the United Arab Emirates, where the sounds of explosions forced the cancellation of a Challenger event. Footage captured frightened players and officials fleeing the courts in Fujairah after a nearby explosion caused a huge plume of smoke to erupt into the sky.
Air-raid sirens could be heard in the distance, with officials reporting an Iranian drone attack led to a fire breaking out at an oil terminal around 10km away. Two matches were stopped in Fujairah after the city’s port was targeted in the strikes.
Aussie Cruz Hewitt was among a number of tennis stars caught in scary scenes in the UAE, where nearby explosions forced a Challenger event to be cancelled. Pic: Getty/Olly Tennis
It follows a series of Iranian drone and missile attacks that have been fired towards the UAE in recent days. And it comes in response to strikes on Iran from the United States and Israel in what is an escalating conflict spreading across the Middle East.
Livestream cameras captured frantic scenes during a hastily abandoned second-round match between top seed Hayato Matsuoka and Daniil Ostapenkov. Both players, officials and ball kids were seen racing off court at the sound of the nearby explosions, with the ATP later announcing the Challenger event in Fujairah had been cancelled.
Cruz Hewitt among those stranded amid charter flight uproar
Hewitt – the 17-year-old son of Aussie tennis legend Lleyton – was said to be among those players left stranded in the UAE, according to the UK’s Telegraph. Other players caught up in the drama included Aussies James McCabe and Jason Kubler, as well as 2025 Wimbledon men’s doubles champions Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.
“Relevant authorities responded to a fire that broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, resulting from falling debris following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems,” the Government of Fujairah media office said in a statement provided to the BBC. The event was officially called off along with the another Challenger tournament scheduled for next week.
Aussie teen Cruz Hewitt was among a host of tennis stars caught up in scary scenes at a Challenger Event in the UAE that was abandoned after nearby drone strikes and explosions. Pic: Getty
(James D. Morgan via Getty Images)
But many players were left fuming over reports the ATP were charging more than $8000 for a charter flight out of Muscat, so the players could leave the area safely. Many slammed the governing body for not covering the costs to extract the players out of the region.
The situation prompted the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) to offer to cover half of the charter fee for the players, and they urged the ATP to cover the rest. “We believe it is inappropriate for players to bear additional financial burdens resulting from circumstances beyond their control,” the PTPA said in a statement.
with agencies