Amid the ban imposed by Wimbledon on all Russian players following the invasion of Ukraine, Natela Dzalamidze, a Russian-born tennis player, has decided to change her nationality to Georgian.
Currently ranked No. 43 in the world as a doubles specialist, she is now officially recognized as a Georgian player on the WTA website. She is set to compete alongside her doubles partner Aleksandra Krunić of Serbia when Wimbledon begins on June 27, as reported by CNN.
This decision comes after Wimbledon’s announcement of the ban on all Russian and Belarusian athletes back in April.
Notable tennis players such as men’s world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and women’s world No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka will not be participating at SW19.
The spokesperson for Wimbledon, in a statement published by The Times, mentioned their inability to prevent Dzalamidze, who previously competed under a neutral flag at the French Open, from changing her nationality.
The tennis world has witnessed division over the ban on Russian and Belarusian players. Last week, the US Open announced that it would not be following Wimbledon’s example, with players from both countries being eligible to compete under a neutral flag.
