Photograph credit score: Lucian Nuta/WikimediaCommons
Anastasia Potapova has made a dramatic citizenship change forward of the 2026 season.
The 24-year-old Potapova introduced that her software for Austrian citizenship has been granted. Potapova, who was born in Saratov, Russia, will play as an Austrian beginning subsequent month.
“I’m delighted to allow you to all know that my software for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian Authorities,” Potapova stated in an Instagram submit immediately. “Austria is a spot I really like, is extremely welcoming and a spot the place I really feel completely at house. I really like being in Wien and sit up for making my second house there.
“As a part of this I’m proud to announce that ranging from 2026 I shall be representing my new homeland Austria in my skilled tennis profession from this level onwards.”
Former world No. 21 Potapova joins a number of former Russian stars who’ve modified nations.
Final March, Daria Kasatkina introduced she was altering nationality from Russian to Australian.
“Australia is a spot I really like, is extremely welcoming and a spot the place I really feel completely at house,” Kasatkina posted to X. “I really like being in Melbourne and sit up for making my house there.
“As a part of this, I’m proud to announce that I shall be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my skilled tennis profession from this level onwards.”
Kasatkina, who got here out as homosexual in 2022, has cited Russia’s remedy of the LGBTQ neighborhood and the actual fact she didn’t really feel protected in her homeland after criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as elements in her choice to maneuver to Australia.
“I’ll all the time have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, however I’m thrilled to start out this new chapter in my profession and my life below the Australian flag,” Kasatkina posted on social media.
Potapova’s public change to Austria comes a number of days after the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation introduced Russian Kamilla Rakhimova will now symbolize Uzbekistan in what the Federation referred to as “a historic occasion” for the nation’s tennis federation.
