Tommy Fleetwood talks about the safety of his family in the Middle East.

While Tommy Fleetwood prepares for the prestigious The Players Championship, a shadow looms over his family, who are in Dubai, the city they have called home since 2022. The escalation of the conflict that erupted on February 28 has led to a state of emergency that has complicated their exit from the country, but the British golfer expressed his gratitude for how the United Arab Emirates has managed the situation. “They are still in Dubai at the moment. It has been a strange time,” Fleetwood told reporters ahead of the tournament. “I can’t speak highly enough about how the country has dealt with things for those who are there,” he continued. “My family has been very, very safe.”

When asked if all this instability has affected his performance on the course, Fleetwood was direct: “I don’t like making excuses.” The player finished in 49th place at Bay Hill, with a performance of 6 over par, indicating that external pressure is not easy to ignore.

Tommy Fleetwood’s family, consisting of his wife Clare, who also serves as his manager, and their three children — Frankie, Oscar, and Murray — is in a context that goes far beyond a simple holiday. Since settling in Dubai, all the children have been attending school full-time, near Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The increase in tensions in the Middle East reached a critical point with a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, which led to the immediate closure of airspace in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. This blockade left many travelers, including athletes, in a state of uncertainty, with no clear way out. Tommy Fleetwood was not the only athlete affected; several LIV Golf players preparing in Dubai also found themselves stranded. Jon Rahm, in an act of solidarity, arranged a private jet from Oman to help seven players, including Thomas Detry, Lee Westwood, and Anirban Lahiri, to get out.

Thomas Detry did not hesitate to share his frustration about the situation: “Two days ago, I was at the border of the United Arab Emirates and thought: ‘There is absolutely no chance of playing in Hong Kong.’”

Another notable case is that of Richard Mansell, a player on the DP World Tour, whose wife Ellie, in the late stages of pregnancy, found herself stuck in Dubai. Mansell, who in the past celebrated an emotional victory after 104 attempts, is now facing the urgency of returning to the United Kingdom. “This is not a sad story. I have been trying to get back to the UK for several days, as Ellie is about to give birth. We had a private jet booked that has now been canceled,” he expressed on social media, highlighting the difficulty of securing authorization in time.

Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 23,000 flights have been canceled, and flight operations have drastically fallen from an average of 90 to 110 movements per hour to just 48. The British government is preparing evacuation plans for up to 50,000 British citizens currently in the Emirates, while the Foreign Office warns that leaving remains a matter of individual risk.

Finally, Mansell found a way out. On March 10, he posted an update on social media, thanking everyone who helped him, with Ellie and their dog by his side, after finally arriving home. The expression of relief was evident, but the fact that a public appeal was necessary to find a private flight underscores the severity of the situation and the difficulties many face in leaving the region, even those with resources and connections.

The reality that Tommy Fleetwood and other athletes are facing in the Middle East serves as an alarming reminder of the challenges many are experiencing amid one of the most tense conflicts of our time.