The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a significant impact on the tennis world since it all started, in February 2022, when Russian and Belarusian players were forced to compete as neutral athletes on both the ATP and WTA Tours. While that is much more lenient than the outright bans imposed by other sports, several sports have since decided to change their citizenships to represent new nations.
I would like to emphasize that this change does not erase my roots or my respect for my previous team and federation. I bear my past with gratitude. But now I look ahead – to new opportunities, new challenges and new goals. Thank you to everyone who supports me. Your messages, your belief in me and your presence at tournaments mean a lot to the world. I hope you will stay with me in this new chapter of my journey. Kamilla Rakhimova
Anastasia Potapova is the latest player to make the switch, becoming an Austrian citizen earlier this month. The world number 51 announced in a post on Instagram that she will represent Austria from the start of the 2026 season.
“I am pleased to inform you all that my application for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian government,” she wrote. “Austria is a place I love, it is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel completely at home. I love being in Vienna and look forward to making it my second home.
“As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will represent my new home country Austria in my professional tennis career from 2026.”
A former junior world No. 1 and 2016 Wimbledon girls’ singles champion, Potapova reached a career-high No. 21 in June 2023, reached the fourth round of the French Open in 2024 and won three WTA Tour singles titles, the most recent triumphing at the 2025 Transylvania Open.
Potapova was among a string of players recently criticized for competing in the Northern Palmyra Trophies in St. Petersburg, Russia.
© Marcio Machado/Getty Images
Also joining in December is 24-year-old Kamilla Rakhimova, who now represents Uzbekistan, a move confirmed by the Uzbek Tennis Federation.
“After much thought and discussions with my team and family, I have decided to change my sports nationality,” Rakhimova wrote. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right step for my future in tennis, both professionally and personally.
“My decision is based on my ambitions, my career goals and what I believe will give me the best opportunity to develop as an athlete.
“I want to emphasize that this change does not erase my roots or my respect for my previous team and federation. I carry my past with gratitude. But now I look forward – to new opportunities, new challenges and new goals.”
“Thank you to everyone who supports me. Your messages, your belief in me and your presence at tournaments mean a lot to the world. I hope you will stay with me in this new chapter of my journey.”
“With love, Kamilla Rakhimova.”
Rakhimova is currently ranked 112th in the world and reached a career-high of No. 60 in December 2024.
The highest profile player to change citizenship is Daria Kasatkina, who confirmed she was competing for Australia in March 2025 and was publicly critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
© Elsa/Getty Images
Like Rakhimova, Maria Timofeeva switched to represent Uzbekistan in October 2025, although she has not yet publicly commented on her decision to change citizenship.
The 22-year-old is currently ranked 146th in the world and has been ranked 93rd in his career as of April 2024, after reaching the 4th round of the Australian Open that year.
The highest profile player to change citizenship is Daria Kasatkina, who confirmed she was competing for Australia in March 2025 after successfully applying for permanent residency.
The 28-year-old, who is openly gay, has publicly criticized Russia’s strict LGBTQ+ laws and loudly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Currently ranked 37th in the world, Kasatkina reached a career-high of No. 8, won 8 WTA Tour singles titles and reached the semi-finals of the 2022 French Open.
Other Russian-born players who have switched countries include Elina Avanesyan, who became Armenian in August 2024, Ksenia Efremova, French since September 2023, Varvara Gracheva, who has represented France since June 2023, and Natela Dzalamidze, who will play for Georgia from June 2022.
The most prominent male player to have vacated Russian citizenship since February 2022 is Alexander Shevchenko, who began representing Kazakhstan in January 2024, after the Australian Open.
Shamil Tarpishev, the president of the Russian Tennis Federation, seen here at a Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) meeting in Moscow in 2023, says the dropouts are due to lower-ranked players.
© Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev has flatly dismissed suggestions that Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider could join the growing number of players switching nationalities.
Andreeva is considered one of the most promising players in the women’s game and won Olympic silver in doubles alongside Shnaider at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he competed as neutral athletes.
When asked by Russian sports website Championat if there was any concern that Andreeva could change her nationality, Tarpischev responded sharply.
‘No, not her either [Andreeva] nor Shnaider,” he said. ‘Imagine that I have 1,070 tennis players abroad. They’re like army men! And we retain 350 in our national teams. The rest are on their own.
“I can’t say anything about Potapova. If this isn’t a complete surprise to us, then it’s also a surprise to us that she did it.”
“She lived in Austria for two years. I can only assume she wants to compete in the Olympics. She doesn’t make our team based on the rankings. She kept complaining about visa problems. It disrupts our rhythm. Just everyday stuff.”
“Athletes do not change their home country, but their sporting citizenship. Because everyone wants to play. Why are they leaving at this time? Because other countries recruit for the Olympic Games and, as a rule, take our reserves. They pay a lot of money.”
“It is a combination of a person’s thinking about how to play better and how to best achieve results. With this attitude they change their sporting citizenship, but not their home country.”
So far, nine players have reportedly changed their citizenship from Russian since February 2022, while there are currently seven Russians in the Top 50 of the WTA rankings, with 3 in the Top 20: Andreeva, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov are all in the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings.
World No. 9 Andreeva is currently the highest-ranked Russian player on both tours, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is Belarusian.
Few have spoken out publicly against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
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