Dylan Bettencourt
A Russian tennis player has taken the decision to change her nationality in order to avoid the Wimbledon ban.
Natela Dzalamidze was not willing to miss out on the year’s third Grand Slam and changed her nationality from Russian to Georgian in order to compete.
The 29-year-old is the 44th ranked doubles player and after her nationality switch was approved, she will now feature on the famous grass courts.
Dzalamidze will play with her doubles partner Aleksandra Krunic when Wimbledon begins at the end of the month.
Her decision came after the All England Club announced that no player from Russia or Belarus will be allowed to play due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The statement revealed that “it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with the championships”.
The All England Club said they had no role to play in Dzalamidze’s change of nationality.
The change was completed through the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation as she had a valid passport from Georgia.
“Player nationality, defined as the flag they play under at professional events, is an agreed process that is governed by tours and the ITF [International Tennis Federation],” an All England Club spokesperson said.
It is unclear how Dzalamidze has Georgian citizenship as she was born in Moscow in 1993 but her surname is of Georgian origin.
Wimbledon will be the only of the four Grand Slams this year that bans Russian or Belarusian athletes from competing after the US Open announced athletes from the region will compete under a neutral flag, as they did at the French Open.
