“I don’t know what to do in Russia.” A great tennis player went under a foreign flag

The exclusion of Russians from international competitions has minimal impact on tennis players from our country. In a neutral status, no one prevents them from participating in tournaments and even winning prestigious trophies. And yet, in the current realities, some of them are looking for an opportunity to change their sports citizenship.

Last year, Varvara Gracheva moved under the banner of France, and now another famous tennis player has decided to make the move.

“I consider Austria home”

Tennis player Alexander Shevchenko, ranked 48th in the ATP rankings, had been toying with the idea of ​​changing his sports citizenship for some time, and by the end of January 2024 he was ready for the official transition. Now the native of Rostov-on-Don will represent Kazakhstan. There is little surprise in the athlete’s decision; from the age of nine he lived in European countries and did not experience any particularly warm feelings for our country.

“I just don’t know what to do in Russia.” And I already consider Austria my home—I’ve been there since I was nine years old. I have a residence permit in Slovakia, I live in Bratislava, I go to train in Austria. Why did you choose this country? Honestly, by accident. Mom just wanted to see Vienna. My mother and I really liked it there. Dad gave the go-ahead. I don’t visit Russia at all. I’m probably not even going to,” Shevchenko told the “Championship” in 2022.

At the end of last year, Alexander was nevertheless forced to visit Russia. In December, he performed at the exhibition tournament “Trophies of Northern Palmyra”, where he was invited together with his wife Anastasia Potapova. In St. Petersburg, Shevchenko played tennis for the last time as a Russian, but now he will proudly represent his new country.

Alexander Shevchenko / Photo: © picture alliance / Contributor / picture alliance / Gettyimages.ru

Joy, anger and optimism

– Hi all! I just want to inform you that starting next week I will represent Kazakhstan on the court. “I am very proud of this opportunity and can’t wait to get on the court, trying to give unforgettable moments to myself and the country,” Shevchenko wrote on social networks.

Not all tennis fans in our country liked the athlete’s decision. The pride of the opportunity to represent Kazakhstan against the backdrop of words about Russia also caused bewilderment among a number of fans. In addition to good wishes, Shevchenko received a rich collection of unprinted messages on the road, the general meaning of which boils down to the phrase “good riddance.” And yet there were enough of those who did not slander, but were sincerely upset over the loss of the sixth racket of the country.

If some fans were sad, the leaders of Russian tennis did not want to lose optimism in this situation. Honored Coach of Russia Viktor Yanchuk said that the tennis federation is not particularly concerned about individual young people; the talent of Rublev or Medvedev is not visible in the tennis player. The head of the FTR, Shamil Tarpishchev, noted as a positive point that we invested practically nothing in Shevchenko.