Potapova switches allegiance to Austria from Russia

LONDON (Agencies): Anastasia Potapova has become the latest Russian-born tennis player to switch international allegiance after the world number 51 said her application for Austrian citizenship was approved. Potapova, 24, has been playing on the WTA Tour as a neutral athlete after Russian and Belarusian players were banned from competing under their own flags following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Daria Kasatkina (Australia), Varvara Gracheva (France), Elina Avanesyan (Armenia), Maria Timofeeva (Uzbekistan) and Natela Dzalamidze (Georgia) have all switched allegiance since the Russian invasion. “I am delighted to let you all know that my application for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian government,” Potapova posted on social media on Thursday. “As part of this I am proud to announce that starting from 2026 I will be representing my new homeland Austria in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.” Potapova had been issued a formal warning by the WTA in 2023 for wearing a T-shirt of Russian soccer team Spartak Moscow before her match against Jessica Pegula at Indian Wells. Her actions had been viewed as a public show of support for Russia and drew criticism from Iga Swiatek but she later said she had supported Spartak since she was 13 and saw no provocation in it.