(Reuters) – Belarussian Victoria Azarenka will not play in the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto next week after her visa application was rejected, the twice grand slam champion said on Twitter https://twitter.com/vika7/status/1556302134928441345.
The 33-year-old, ranked 20th in the world, also missed Wimbledon in June due to a ban on Belarussian players.
The tennis governing bodies have banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion of Ukraine, but individual players from the two countries are allowed to compete as neutrals.
“It’s very sad to miss one of my favorite tournaments. I love to play in Canada with great fans and a place I made many friends over the years,” Azarenka said.
The Belarussian added that she will be playing in Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati later in August.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
