“Hypocrisy is huge in the UK” – Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka’s visa situation for Wimbledon participation sees fans lambasting British officials

The UK visa situation of Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva is still uncertain despite Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to play at Wimbledon this year. A few weeks back the World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka was not certain whether she would be able to travel to the UK for her Wimbledon campaign. Even teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva is said to not have received her UK Visa, despite grass season around the corner.

As soon as the French Open gets over, the coveted grass season will begin. But still, there is an air of doubt about the visa being issued by UK officials for Russian and Belarusian players.

Due to the low visibility of visa issuance, a lot of deserving players like Mirra Andreeva will be forced to work in smaller tournaments. Up and coming, Mirra won’t get the chance to get an opportunity to try her luck at the grass courts. Andreeva played great tennis in 2023, with deep runs at the Madrid Open on her first attempt.

The 16-year-old reached the 4th round at Madrid and the 3rd round in the French Open. World is hoping to watch the new tennis sensation and Aryna Sabalenka swing her racket at Wimbledon too, but only if she secures a valid UK visa will this be possible.

The popular belief is that there might be a delay due to the ongoing war. Though Wimbledon has allowed the players to participate, diplomacy at the country level might have precedence over the permit. The UK and its allies condemn the Russian government’s allegedly unprovoked and premeditated war against Ukraine. Since the ultimate power resides with the UK embassy, the UK’s strong anti-Russia stance might prove as a deterrent for Russian/Belarusian players’ chances at Wimbledon.

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Tennis fans on Twitter are criticizing UK officials for the apparent visa delay for Mirra Andreeva

This visa delay will restrict a well-deserving Mirra Andreeva to play at the ITF circuit when she is deserving to play at Wimbledon. Though the player is very determined to play at Wimbledon, she will have to settle for ITF tournaments. A lot of tennis fans showed solidarity with their favorite players, hoping they get their visas resolved sooner than later. A lot of support poured out for Mirra Andreeva while fans took a dig at UK Officials and Wimbledon.

Twitter fans did not spare British officials. They felt this was a deliberate attempt by the UK to restrict the players from entering their country and pursuing their professional dreams. Fans have also urged ATP and WTA to use their influence to get the visa work done soon.

A large section on Twitter brought up the hypocrisy of the UK into the limelight. One of the fans felt that “UK was taking a moral high ground. They have done far worse that what Russia is doing in Ukraine.” A few called the British officials either lazy or classless.

Tennis fans would hope this ambiguity will be resolved within a few weeks, so their favorites can play at SW19 in July.

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