VIENNA (AP) — Russia’s Anastasia Potapova has switched allegiance to Austria, paving the way for the 51st-ranked player to enter the tournament. Billie Jean King Cup.
Potapova will become the highest-ranked Austrian player, ahead of 94th-ranked Julia Grabher, with the change of nationality she announced on social media.
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“Welcome to the team,” the Austrian tennis federation said in a statement also confirming its decision.
Potapova, 24, competed in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2018 and 2019, but Russia has been banned from team competition since the invasion of Ukraine.
“Austria is a place I love, it is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home,” Potapova wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “I love being in Vienna and I can’t wait to make my second home here. 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.”
Potapova’s best ranking was 21st in June 2023. Her best Grand Slam result is reaching the fourth round at the 2024 French Open. She has won three singles titles.
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As a young player, she was the 2016 women’s champion at Wimbledon.
Potapova was criticized in 2023 for wearing a Spartak Moscow football club t-shirt during a warm-up at Indian Wells.
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
