Visa issues dashes Svetlana Kuznetsova’s hopes of defending Citi Open title

Svetlana Kuznetsova won’t return to defend her Citi Open title after she failed to obtain a visa to enter the United States.

The two-time Grand Slam winner won the tournament last year with a 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 victory over Donna Vekic from Croatia, but she won’t return to Washington next week.

“Unfortunately I had to pull out of Washington due to my problems with US visa(. Wanted to apologize to all my fans who were waiting for me there ..” she wrote on social media.

“Never had issues like this in my life , hopefully one day I can finally get a visa and play at list some events of the US swing !”

Unfortunately I had to pull out of Washington due to my problems with US visa(. Wanted to apologize to all my fans who were waiting for me there .. Never had issues like this in my life , hopefully one day I can finally get a visa and play at list some events of the US swing ! pic.twitter.com/K1JzU2vupi

— Svetlana Kuznetsova (@SvetlanaK27) July 25, 2019

Kuznetsova also won the title in 2014, but she has struggled for form in recent months and has slipped to No 108 in the world rankings on the back of first-round exits from the French Open and Wimbledon.

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