A glamorous Russian tennis player has condemned ‘Nazism’ after she was banned from boarding a Polish passenger jet and forced sleep on benches at Cairo airport.
Polish flag carrier LOT confirmed on Tuesday that it had not allowed Vitalia Diatchenko to board, citing restrictions introduced by Poland’s interior ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic and updated in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Diatchenko had been on her way from Cairo to a tournament in Corsica, travelling via Warsaw and Nice, and wanted to change planes in Poland.
But 32-year-old was told she would not be able to board the flight because she is Russian.
Diatchenko she then tried to buy a ticket with Lufthansa, but was told she could only enter the Schengen zone via Spain as it had issued her visa.
Pictured: Vitalia Diatchenko. Polish flag carrier LOT confirmed on Tuesday that it had not allowed the tennis star to board
Pictured: Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia in action against Katie Volynets of USA in qualifying during the Viking Classic Birmingham at Edgbaston Priory Club on June 12, 2021
Vitalia Diatchenko took to social media to express her anger about the incident
As a result of the ordeal, Diatchenko had to spend long hours without food or accommodation at Cairo Airport, sleeping on benches.
‘The provisions of the regulation introduce restrictions at certain border crossings, including airport crossings, in relation to citizens of the Russian Federation traveling from outside the Schengen area,’ LOT said in an emailed statement.
A spokesman for the Warsaw airport said: ‘We were unable to allow a citizen of the Russian Federation on board in keeping with a decree by the interior minister of March 13 2020, which temporarily suspends or restricts passage through certain border crossings, including air terminals, for Russian citizens.’
Posting on social media Diatchenko, who is currently 250th in the WTA ranking, said: ‘As a professional athlete who is playing without any flag and not representing any country, just trying to get on with life and follow a career that I have loved all my life, is this fair to athletes that have no association with any part of the unfortunate situation?
‘Hope to be free of politics, racism and nazism. Just peace and clear sky please!!!’
On Instagram Stories she wrote: ‘I was refused to fly to a tournament in Corsica by Lott airlines, from Cairo – Warsaw – Nice, because I am the owner of Russian passport. Airlines rules – suddenly do not allow any Russian to fly with Lott airlines!
‘Does it really help to improve situation for the peace???. I had all the support letters from WTA, ITF but in modern tennis this doesn’t seem to make any difference in reality. I had support letters from my father, who is originally born in Ukraine and working for United Nations. This letter stating that I am his daughter (airline policy allows family members of people who have diplomatic passport to fly) but all airlines suddenly now refuse these documents because of your country of birth.’
She continued: ‘Travelling as a Russian citizen to Europe, I received only 14 days! visa (usually as an athlete I receive 2/3 years ). Also, this visa had to be through Spain as they were the only country that would issue this visa.
‘Therefore flight has to go through Spain, so other borders such as the one for my tournament will not let me fly unless through Spain. In reality, this means four flights instead of two! End of the story, slept in the airport, treated like a 3rd class citizen, spent a couple of thousand euros, now no possible way to make it to the tournament as no route because of airlines that won’t carry Russians and the limited visa situation.
Pictured: Vitalia Diatchenko in target practice. On Instagram Stories she wrote: ‘Does it really help to improve situation for the peace???. I had all the support letters from WTA, ITF but in modern tennis this doesn’t seem to make any difference in reality’
Pictured: Vitalia Diatchenko. As a result of the ordeal, Diatchenko had to spend long hours without food or accommodation at Cairo Airport, sleeping on benches
On Instagram Stories she wrote Diatchenko (pictured) wrote: ‘I had support letters from my father, who is originally born in Ukraine and working for United Nations. This letter stating that I am his daughter (airline policy allows family members of people who have diplomatic passport to fly) but all airlines suddenly now refuse these documents because of your country of birth’
On Instagram Stories Diatchenko wrote: ‘I was refused to fly to a tournament in Corsica by Lott airlines, from Cairo – Warsaw – Nice, because I am the owner of Russian passport. Airlines rules – suddenly do not allow any Russian to fly with Lott airlines!’
Diatchenko (pictured) wrote: ‘Travelling as a Russian citizen to Europe, I received only 14 days! visa (usually as an athlete I receive 2/3 years ). Also, this visa had to be through Spain as they were the only country that would issue this visa.’
Posting on social media Diatchenko (pictured on a tennis court), who is currently 250th in the WTA ranking, said: ‘As a professional athlete who is playing without any flag and not representing any country, just trying to get on with life and follow a career that I have loved all my life, is this fair to athletes that have no association with any part of the unfortunate situation?
‘Finally, I have to withdraw and the only option is to return home and miss another event because of this situation. As a professional athlete who is playing without any flag and not representing any country, just trying to get on with life and follow a career that I have loved all my life, is this fair to athletes that have no association with any part of the unfortunate situation.
‘Hope to be free of politics, racism and nazism. Just peace and a clear sky please!’
The incident drew an angry response on social media.
The European Union has banned all flights from Russia and has agreed to limit issuing free-travel Schengen zone visas. In September, Finland joined the Baltic states and Poland in closing its borders to Russian tourists.
Diatchenko said she then tried to buy a ticket with Lufthansa, but was told she could only enter the Schengen zone via Spain as it had issued her visa.
Unlike many other sports, tennis did not introduce a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.
Wimbledon banned players from the two countries last year after the invasion, which Moscow calls a ‘special military operation’, but said in March that it would now accept them as neutral athletes.
Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutral athletes.
Pictured: Vitalia Diatchenko on a tennis court. ‘I slept at the airport, I was treated like a third class citizen (because of my nationality), spent a few thousand euro,’ Diatchenko wrote
Diatchenko (pictured) wrote: ‘As a professional athlete who is playing without any flag and not representing any country, just trying to get on with life and follow a career that I have loved all my life, is this fair to athletes that have no association with any part of the unfortunate situation’
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