An official statement released today from Shahar Peer.
From The WTA Tour
In response to the tremendous outpouring of support and empathy over the UAE decision to deny me a visa that would allow me to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends and fans around the world, and my fellow players. While this is a very difficult moment for me personally and professionally, and the fact that the visa denial was issued at the last moment, I firmly believe that my fellow competitors should not be harmed the way I was - they were in or on their way to Dubai and denying them the right to play in this year's tournament at the last moment would not make the wrong right. In fact, it troubles me greatly that my doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany will not be able to compete as we had planned. Going forward, I am confident that the Tour will take appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future, and that the Tour will make sure I will not be further harmed in the short and long term. There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport.
In an interesting twist to this saddening story, information has surfaced that Dubai Tournament organizer's denied an ATP Israeli doubles team from competing in last year's event. The pair withdrew last minute but no word was mentioned as to the reason. Information has surfaced shedding light to last year's last minute withdrawal. Doug Robson: Ram Also denied Visa
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