In Warsaw Vera Zvonareva, a Russian tennis star, was denied entry to Poland on Friday due to concerns for public safety and state security, according to a statement from the Polish interior ministry on Saturday.
She won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and her name was on the roster for the BNP Paribas Warsaw Open, which begins on Monday.
The Russian tennis player was denied entry into Poland by the Border Guard. Vera Zvonareva attempted to enter our nation on a flight from Belgrade to Warsaw while using a visa issued by France, the ministry said in a statement.
The tennis player stayed in the Warsaw Chopin Airport transit area after flying in from Serbia, and around 1200 today, she took a flight to Podgorica.
The 38-year-old Zvonareva is listed as a person Poland should not have on its soil, according to the ministry.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Poland has emerged as one of the country’s most steadfast supporters, and it has been denying access to those who support the acts of Russia and Belarus.
An email sent to the tournament’s organizers did not immediately receive a response.