Bad news about Medvedev and Rublev's replacement, Dubai men's doubles champion reveals forced withdrawal plan details.

Will Medvedev and Rublev manage to arrive at Indian Wells in time? Current indications are not promising!

After Marca reported that 41 people including Medvedev and Rublev were stranded following the Dubai 500 event, news emerged that the pair planned to travel by car to Oman and then take a private flight to Indian Wells, scheduled for March 3.

While everyone awaited updates on whether Medvedev and Rublev had left Dubai, Indian Wells officials announced the cancellation of their mixed doubles 'Tie Break Tens' exhibition spot, replaced by Lestienne and Bublik.

This pre-tournament exhibition featured a strong lineup: eight women—Swiatek, Andreeva, Rybakina, Pegula, Anisimova, Paolini, Navarro, and Fernandez—and eight men—Ruud, Medvedev, Rublev, Fritz, Shelton, Paul, Berrettini, and Aliassime.

The Russian pair of Medvedev with compatriot Andreeva and the cross‑national duo of Rublev with Anisimova were highly anticipated. Their removal from the exhibition is a disappointment.

Though brief, the Indian Wells announcement implies Medvedev and Rublev encountered problems executing their departure from Dubai and remain stuck at their hotel; otherwise, their exhibition spot wouldn’t have been canceled.

Some fans noted that as a seeded player, Medvedev receives a first‑round bye and only needs to arrive before the second round. But with the exhibition cancellation, whether he and Rublev will appear at this Masters event is now in serious question.

Many are puzzled: with UAE airspace and Dubai airport closed, alternative routes should be feasible, albeit complicated. Why does it seem so difficult?

Answers may lie in the Dubai men’s doubles champion Helliovaara’s explanation of why the ATP evacuation plans were rejected.

The ATP proposed two options for the stranded 41: a 6‑hour drive to Oman or a 10‑hour drive to Riyadh for flights. Initially, refusal was attributed to safety concerns, but Helliovaara’s blog reveals a more complex and challenging situation.

Helliovaara clarified that although Omani and Saudi airspace are open, reaching those borders is not straightforward. Aside from terrible traffic at checkpoints, arranging passage is difficult.

“You can’t drive a UAE‑plated car into Oman or Riyadh without a permit, and you can’t just walk across the border. So you essentially need a vehicle.” The ATP plans seemed plausible, but securing transport quickly proved a major obstacle.

Helliovaara stressed that overland travel to Muscat or Riyadh requires thorough preparation and isn’t something you can do on a whim. Rejecting the plans was a last resort, “though we wanted to leave as soon as possible.”

Given Helliovaara’s insider account, many speculate that if Medvedev and Rublev’s departure has stalled, it likely relates to the vehicle‑arrangement issue, leading to the exhibition cancellation announcement.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)