Organizers of the Prague Open, part of the Women's Tennis Association, indicated on Friday that Czech police prevented a Russian player from entering the country after the government issued a decision banning athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions hosted by the Czech Republic. The tournament is set to start next Monday, and it was planned for players from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral athletes without national affiliation or insignia. However, the government issued a decision at the end of last month prohibiting Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions hosted in the Czech Republic and allowed the police to revoke their visas.
Tournament director Miroslav Mali stated, "The police prevented a player who was supposed to participate in the tournament from entering yesterday, and the organizers have asked other players from the countries not to travel to participate in the tournament." He added, "The first arrivals to the Czech Republic had Russian passports," indicating that she has already left the country. He confirmed, "The tournament management fully respects the current position of the authorities. We do not expect any player with a Russian or Belarusian passport to participate in the tournament under this situation." Central and Eastern European countries have been among Ukraine's strongest allies since the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
