Russian and Belarusian players face delays in getting UK visas in time for Wimbledon
The All England Club and Lawn Tennis Association last year overturned a ban on competitors from both countries following the invasion of Ukraine, but some appear unlikely to do so.
Mirra Andreeva, 16, made her Wimbledon qualifying debut but said she was still waiting to be granted a visa after losing to Coco Goff in the third round in Paris on Saturday.
Australian Open champion Arina Sabalenka also spoke of not getting a visa, while world number two Daniil Medvedev said flatly “if I can come to England to play Wimbledon” when talking about the grass court season.
The Interior Ministry is carrying out additional checks on Russian and Belarusian citizens, who currently face a wait of at least six weeks, while fast-track options are not available to nationals of both countries.
Wimbledon starts on July 3, and speaking after reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, Russian Karen Kachanov, who has a visa from previous years, said: “I hear it will take longer to issue a visa.”
Under normal circumstances Andreeva would be a strong candidate for a wild card for Wimbledon, but it is highly unlikely that the All England Club will provide such assistance at this time.
Meanwhile, Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is expected to miss the tournament as she is not ranked high enough to enter the main round or qualifiers.
Pavliuchenkova is a former French Open finalist but has been sidelined for a long time following knee surgery.
He is playing well in Paris, has reached the quarter-finals and is being asked if he can go for a wild card.
Pavlyuchenkova said in disbelief: “Are you serious? Do you think they will give me a wild card this year after last year?”
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