Tennis star Andy Roddick said he is boycotting the World Tennis Association’s Dubai tournament in protest of the United Arab Emirate’s refusal to grant a visa to Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer. "I just don't feel like there's a need for that in a sporting event," Roddick said. "I don't think you make political statements through sports."
A second player, Venus Williams, played in the tournament but use her podium as one of the winners to state that it was “a shame that one of our players couldn't be here.”
After a stormy protest against the ban on Peer, the UAE allowed Israeli male player Andy Ram to participate in the tournament.