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

FILE - Vera Zvonareva of Russia returns the ball to Danielle Collins of the U.S., during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Former world No.2, Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva has been banned from entering Poland for a WTA 250 tournament in Warsaw, Poland's Ministry of the Interior says Sunday, July 23, 2023. Poland, which supports Ukraine in its war against Russias aggression, said that Zvonareva was on a ban list and has not been allowed in for reasons of state and public security. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File) (Marta Lavandier, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

WARSAW – Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva has been banned from entering Poland, the country's Interior Ministry said. She was to participate in a WTA 250 tournament in Warsaw starting Monday.

A communique on the ministry website said the Polish 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.

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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 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 not 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.”

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