FILE – A general view as the sun sets during the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier match between Julia Grabher of Austria and Coco Gauff of the United States at the Delray Beach Tennis Center on April 14, 2023 in Delray Beach, Florida. James Gilbert/Getty Images for ITF/AFP
A Russian tennis player, whose identity remains undisclosed, was denied entry to participate in the qualifying round of the WTA Prague Open, as announced by the Czech Republic Interior Ministry on Twitter last Friday.
The tweet stated that the Czech police, while conducting a routine check on a Russian citizen at the airport, discovered reasons to terminate her temporary stay in the country. The player has since departed from the Czech Republic.
The Czech officials further informed that no other Russian or Belarusian players would be allowed to travel to the country, based on the available information.
According to the Czech news agency CTK, three Russian players were scheduled to participate in the tournament qualifying this weekend. Belarusian player Aliaksandra Sasnovich, however, remains in the main draw, with the event set to start on Monday.
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, the Czech government issued a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing on Czech territory. The Czech National Sports Agency clarified that the government’s decision enables them to invalidate individual visas of Russian and Belarussian sportspersons who arrive in the Czech Republic from within the Schengen area without border controls.
The World Tennis Association (WTA) expressed its disagreement with the actions of the Czech authorities, as it goes against their policy. The WTA stated that Russian and Belarusian players, despite competing on a neutral basis, are being denied by the Czech government authorities from participating in the WTA 250 event in Prague scheduled for next week. The WTA emphasizes that their rules mandate equal opportunities for all players, without discrimination based on nationality.
Recently, Russian player Vera Zvonareva was also denied entry into Warsaw for the Polish Open, while Russian player Valeria Savinykh and three Belarusian players, including Aliaksandra Sasnovich, were allowed to participate in the event. Both Russian and Belarusian tennis players currently compete under a neutral flag in the main men’s and women’s tours.
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