Russian Embassy Sent Protest Note to US State Dept Over Tennis Player’s Visa Issues

"Well-known Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was supposed to run in the Citi Open tournament beginning in Washington on the coming weekend, has become one more victim of ‘protracted administrative procedures’ during the issuing of a US visa … We have sent a note of protest to the State Department, asking it to end the discrimination policy concerning visa issuing for Russian participants of international events," the embassy wrote on Facebook.

"We are outraged by the continued practice of preventing our athletes from running in big sporting events held on the territory of the United States," the embassy added.

On Thursday, Kuznetsova, who won singles at the US Open in 2004 and French Open in 2009, said that she had to pull out of the tournament in Washington because of the visa issues. The athlete added that the US embassy in Moscow had had her passport since February when she submitted it with her visa application.