Despite an entry ban, Vera Swonarewa tried to come to Poland to play in a WTA tournament. She was turned away at Warsaw Airport.
As the Polish Ministry of the Interior announced on Saturday (July 22, 2023), the 38-year-old landed in Warsaw on Friday with a visa issued by France and a flight from Serbia. She wanted to take part in the upcoming WTA tournament there.
However, the Polish border guards stopped them. According to the information, Swonarewa had to remain in the transit area and then flew on to the Montenegrin capital Podgorica.
People who support the war against Ukraine are not allowed to enter
Zvonareva is on a list of “undesirables” in Poland that was drawn up because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Poland does not allow people into the country “who support the actions of Russia and Belarus,” the Interior Ministry said in Warsaw. The Polish government recently excluded athletes from Russia and Belarus from the European Games in Kraków.
The WTA said it was “aware” of the incident and was investigating the process. In the field of participants in the qualification so far are also the Russian Valeria Savinykh and the Belarusian Yuliya Hatouka.
Swonarewa is doubles partner of the German Laura Siegemund. They won the US Open together in 2020 and most recently reached the quarter-finals in Wimbledon in July 2023. Swonarewa used to be a world-class player in singles as well. The highlight of her career was when she was number two in the world rankings in 2010.
Laura Siegmund and Vera Svonarjowa at Wimbledon 2023.
Swonarewa wore “No War” on her cap at a tournament in the United States
In response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, with the help of Belarus, athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from many sports. In tennis they were admitted as “neutral” participants, but in Great Britain Russian and Belarusian starters were excluded at Wimbledon 2022, for example. They have been approved again as “neutral” since 2023. In doing so, they must reaffirm their “neutral stance” on the war.
In late March, a month after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began, Zvonareva competed in the United States at the Miami Open wearing the words “No War” on a cap.
Vera Zvonaryova at the 2022 Miami Open with “No War” on her cap