Russian tennis player Zvonareva banned from entering Poland

SPORTS

Russia's Zvonareva banned from entering Poland for WTA 250 tournament

Published Sunday, July 23, 2023 1:58PM EDT Last Updated Sunday, July 23, 2023 1:58PM EDT

Vera Zvonareva returns to Qinwen Zheng, of China, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, on March 9, 2022, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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WARSAW, POLAND -- Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva has been banned from entering Poland, the country's Ministry of the Interior says. She was to participate in a WTA 250 tournament in Warsaw.

A communique on the ministry website says the Border Guard on Friday prevented entry by the former world No.2, who flew in from Belgrade on a French visa. She remained in the transit zone of the Warsaw airport and on Saturday flew to Podgorica, Montenegro.

Zvonareva, currently ranked 60th, was to take part in the PNB Paribas Warsaw Open tournament that begins Monday.

The 38-year-old player was still on the event's participants' list on Sunday. The WTA said in a statement it was evaluating the situation.

Poland, which supports Ukraine in its war against Russia's aggression, said that Zvonareva was on a banned list and has not been allowed into the country for reasons of state and public security.

The communique stressed that Poland is consistent in opposing the "regime of (Russian and Belarusian Presidents Vladimir) Putin and (Alexander) Lukashenko" and is not allowing "people who support Russian and Belarusian actions to enter our country."