Russian and Belarusian players seeking UK visas for Wimbledon face delays

Russian and Belarusian players face delays in obtaining UK visas in time for Wimbledon.

The All England Club and Lawn Tennis Association overturned bans imposed last year on competitors from both countries after they invaded Ukraine, but there appears to be a chance some won’t succeed anyway.

Mira Andreeva, 16, is set to make her first Wimbledon qualifier but said after losing to Coco Gauff in the third round in Paris on Saturday she was still waiting for her visa to be granted.

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka also spoke out about not having a visa, while world number two Daniil Medvedev bluntly said “if I could come to the UK to play Wimbledon” when talking about the grass-court season.

The Interior Ministry is conducting additional checks on Russian and Belarusian citizens, extending the waiting period of at least six weeks currently, while fast-track options are not available for people from both countries.

Wimbledon starts on July 3, and Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who still holds her visa from previous years, spoke after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open, saying, “I heard that it takes much longer for the visa to be issued.”

Under normal circumstances Andreeva would be a strong candidate for a wild card into Wimbledon, but it seems highly unlikely that the All England Club would offer such assistance at this time.

Meanwhile, fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is expected to miss the tournament because she is not ranked high enough to enter the main draw or qualifying rounds.

Pavlyuchenkova, a former French Open finalist, but was sidelined for an extended period of time following knee surgery.

She is doing well in Paris, where she is a quarter-finalist, and is asked if she can go for a wild card.

Pavlyuchenkova said incredulously: “Are you serious? Do you think that after laying last year they will give me a wild card this year?