Anastasia Potapova changed her nationality from Russian to Austrian after her citizenship application was accepted.
Russia has been banned from team competition since the invasion of Ukraine, barring Potapova from competing in the Billie Jean Cup.
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The 24-year-old, who represented Russia at this tournament in 2018 and 2019, will be eligible to play for Austria next year.
“I am delighted to announce that my citizenship application has been accepted by the Austrian government,” Potapova wrote on Instagram.
“Austria is a place I love, it’s incredibly welcoming and a place I feel totally at home. I love being in Wien (Vienna) and can’t wait to make it my second home.
“As part of this, I am proud to announce that from 2026 I will now represent my new country, Austria, in my professional tennis career.”
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Once the change takes effect, Potavpova, ranked world number 51, will become the new Austrian number one, replacing Julia Grabher, who is 94th in the rankings.
In March 2022, Potapova said Russian athletes were “hostages of the current situation” in reference to the war after Ukrainian opponent Elina Svitolina threatened to boycott their match at the Monterrey Open.
Potapova, who has not played since the China Open in October due to injury, is the latest in a growing line of Russians to switch allegiances and represent a different country.
Earlier this year, Daria Kasatkina announced that Australia had accepted his application for permanent residence.
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Doubles player Natela Dzalamidze changed to Georgia to ensure she can compete at Wimbledon when Russian athletes are banned in 2022.
