With the war between Iran, the US, and Israel worsening, many tennis stars remain stranded in the UAE. Among them is Holger Rune, who now finds himself stuck in Doha, where he was rehabilitating at the Aspetar sports hospital. But with no immediate assistance from Copenhagen, his mother and manager Aneke Rune’s frustrations have boiled over.

“We want to get out. But we still haven’t heard anything from Denmark,” Rune told Danish outlet BT’s Jakob Kløcker. “That is disappointingly poor. Either we are completely paralyzed in our country, or they just don’t give a damn about their citizens. I think the latter.

“I think our government should have a s—— here, because they can kill mink in 24 hours, introduce bans and find taxes correspondingly quickly, but they can’t show their creativity when it comes to getting Danish citizens home.”

According to Rune, the Danish government has not yet reached out to them or provided any assistance for safety. In contrast, the UK is already working on helping its citizens stuck in the Middle East. For Aneke, even if the government is working, she needs some information about the same, as might others. On their part, the stuck tourists and players are doing what they can.

She confirmed that the Rune camp had already registered on the Danes’ list. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages citizens abroad to sign up for this list. It is meant to help authorities track and assist nationals overseas.

However, when BT contacted Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about a possible evacuation plan, no answer came. At the time of writing this article, the ministry had not responded, with the uncertainty continuing.

The broader crisis has made travel nearly impossible. Rising tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel have led to widespread flight cancellations. Airspace disruptions have left thousands stranded.

As a result, Holger Rune remains stuck in the Gulf region like others.

Other tennis players remain stuck in the Middle East

More than 40 tennis professionals are currently unable to leave the Middle East. However, other European nations have begun taking action. The United Kingdom has launched efforts to support its citizens in the region. British authorities are preparing for large-scale assistance.

The UK government is mounting an operation to support at least 200,000 British nationals in the Gulf. Citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, and the UAE have been asked to register their presence. They are advised to stay where they are and follow local instructions.

On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the situation publicly. “I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice,” he said. Officials expect guidance to change quickly as events unfold.

Several other players in the region have already shared their experiences.

In a video message, Daniil Medvedev explained the uncertainty. “It’s an unusual situation, of course, but the only thing is that the airspace is closed, no one knows when we will be able to fly out, and it is not clear whether it will be for a long time or not. Therefore, we are just waiting, let’s say, for the next few hours and days, that is, they are gradually postponing the closure of the airport.”

Alexander Bublik also spoke about his flight concerns. He described a tense moment in the air.

“We were flying out of Dubai, thinking, ‘God willing, we’ll have a peaceful flight.’ We had just left Iranian airspace when I opened the news, and saw this.”

For Aneke Rune, the reality remains stark. Her son is stranded far from home amid a volatile conflict. And like many other Danes in the region, she is still waiting for clear action from Copenhagen.

Aneke Rune recounts the harsh ordeal endured in Doha

On Saturday morning, the US and Israel carried out joint air strikes on several targets in Iran. The attacks marked a sharp escalation in regional tensions. The situation quickly intensified.

Iran responded by striking US bases in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. As a safety measure, Qatar closed its airspace. All commercial flights were canceled immediately.

According to Danish outlet TV2 Sport, Holger Rune and his team were scheduled to fly from Doha to Los Angeles on Sunday morning. That flight did not depart. They remain stranded in Qatar’s capital.

Aneke Rune later described what they experienced. Her account was alarming.

“It’s a bit wild. There have been four missile attacks over us today,” said Rune’s mother. “It all seems more brutal at night with the fireballs in the sky and repeated explosions. We spent a lot of time at the reception, and they are super sweet, so in the end, we went to our rooms and slept. But Holger was really scared last night. There’s a lot of brutal news and pictures of attacks all around us.”

As tensions continue, the uncertainty grows. Players remain stuck across the region. Participation in the Indian Wells Masters now appears uncertain for some, as the Middle East crisis disrupts travel plans.