July 29, 2022
After tennis players from Russia and Belarus were banned by the All England Lawn Tennis Club from playing in the Wimbledon Championships, the British government has denied entry to an Iranian player, seemingly for her nationality.
Meshkatolzahra Safi is 17 years old. Last January she made tennis history at the Australian Open Juniors and then followed up by also playing at the French Open in Paris. Now, but she had to withdraw from the junior event at Wimbledon because the UK government did not grant her a visa.
The Iranian prodigy, currently ranked 76th in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings, was set to compete in the junior qualifying draw, which started June 30.
At the Australian Open, Safi caught the attention of many of the world’s tennis media; she became the first junior ever from Iran to win a match at one of the junior majors. On top of that, she was also the first hejab-clad player to participate at a one of the four majors – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
When she played this spring at Roland-Garros, the tennis center in Paris, there was a strong belief that she would get the chance to play at Wimbledon.
“It was my dream to play in Wimbledon,” a tearful Safi told Wide World of Sports. “To play one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world is what every tennis player thinks about.
“Right after my loss at the French Open, my mother and I, along with my coach, flew to Dubai to apply for a UK visa. I submitted my documents and invitation letters a month ago, but unfortunately my visa was not issued.”
It is still unclear why Britain did not issue a visa. Her agent, Amir Sadri, believes there may be a political motive behind the decision, though he hopes that is not the case.
“It’s a sad day for sports in general and for Iran tennis,” Sadri wrote on his Instagram.
At the Australian Open, Safi said, “I have come a long way to get to this point. Playing professional tennis is not easy in my country. In Iran, when I talked about playing at a grand slam, no one took me seriously. But thankfully my perseverance paid off in the end. So, I want to tell everyone that don’t give up on your dreams.”
Safi, who is Iran’s first top-100 junior player, got into tennis at age nine when she watched a Rafael Nadal match on television. That was unusual in itself because state TV rarely broadcasts tennis matches.
During the Australian Open, Safi had a chance to meet Nadal. “It was a dream come true moment for me because Rafa is my role model and someone who I have always looked up to growing up. I always wanted to meet him and take pictures with him. We had a little chat, and it was a joyful experience,” she said.
The Iranian teenager turns 18 in August and her last chance to play in a Grand Slam Juniors comes later this year at the US Open, where she has to clear another visa hurdle before being able to step on the court.