Vera Zvonareva denied entry into Poland “for reasons of state security and protection of public safety”

On Friday, former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva was denied entry into Poland ahead of next week’s BNP Paribas Warsaw Open “for reasons of state security and protection of public safety.”

The Russian was traveling on a French visa from Belgrade to Warsaw , but was not admitted and later stayed in the transit zone to board a flight to Podgorica, Montenegro.

In a statement made by the Polish Interior Ministry Saturday, the decision was made on the basis that Zvonareva is “on the list of persons whose stay is undesirable in the territory of the Republic of Poland.”

Their reasoning concluded, “Poland consistently opposes the regimes of Putin and Lukashenko, refusing to allow people who support the actions of Russia and Belarus to enter our country.”

Aware of the situation, the WTA later issued a response on Twitter.

“The safety and well-being of all players is a top priority of the WTA. Vera has departed Poland and we will be evaluating the issue further with the event.”

Zvonareva, now 38, was coming off a doubles quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon alongside Laura Siegemund. In 2010, she finished runner-up in singles at Wimbledon and the US Open and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.