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(Updated) – The WTA Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in Dubai started off with a controversy after United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials refused to issue a visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer.
WTA Tour Chairman Larry Scott already told the press that the association is now deliberating as to what types of sanctions to implement, including a possible cancelation of this tournament next season.
Tournament organizer, Dubai Duty Free, confirmed the visa rejection but did not offer a concrete reason except specifying the “events that were witnessed in the region.” For those who are updated with the current events, they would associate the rejection with the war that took place between Islamic militants in Gaza and Israel. UAE reportedly has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Scott said that several players gave their support to Peer by not taking part in the tournament. Meanwhile, Tennis Channel expressed its intention to cancel the coverage of the event. Despite this overwhelming show of support, the 45th-ranked player, which was consulted by the WTA Officials, said that it’s better to continue with the tournament because most of the players have arrived in Dubai and she didn’t want them to experience the same inconvenience.
This issue has garnered the interest of tennis fans everywhere. Some have criticized the WTA for not doing enough to protect its players and that they should have done more. Some online writers also pointed out that it would be difficult to boycott the Dubai event because it offers one of the biggest payouts outside Grand Slam tourneys.
At the end of the day, we’ll just have to wait and see the consequences of this incident. The men’s event will take place next week and this flak could affect the perception of the viewers.
But for now, one lucky loser “luckily” made her way on the main draw to replace Peer.
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On February 17, 2009, the Wall Street Journal Europe announced that it is revoking its sponsorship of the tournament due to this incident. Check out their press release here.
