In recent years, Russian tennis players have often changed their citizenship. It’s a rather strange story, because it was in this discipline that no one bothered our guys and allowed them to compete at international competitions. However, cases of passport changes occur regularly. Few people expected this from Anastasia Potapova, who always talked about her love for Russia, and then with great joy called Austria her new home. The tennis player’s excuses were vivid, but did not inspire complete confidence.

Shock news from Potapova

Recent trends indicate that Russian athletes are gradually returning to international competitions, some with a flag and anthem, as in judo and sambo, for example. Tennis has been in a privileged position all these years, because the federations did not impose harsh sanctions on athletes and allowed them to compete in world tournaments in a neutral status. Considering that most tennis players travel endlessly around the world in one way or another, this was not a global problem.

At the same time, some tennis players still made changes in life and exchanged their Russian passport for another. A particularly loud story happened with Daria Kasatkina, who simply radiated happiness due to the fact that she became a citizen of Australia and could represent a new country at international competitions. The ex-Russian woman seemed to have deliberately forgotten about her homeland and tried to avoid mentioning it.

Perhaps in second place in terms of hype was the transfer of Anastasia Potapova to the Austrian national team. If in the Kasatkina case it was possible to predict the tennis player’s actions, given some of her statements, then the Potapova case came as a shock. Anastasia regularly came to Russia, attended Spartak matches, and most recently was in St. Petersburg at a major tennis tournament along with Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov and Alexander Bublik. And then she posted the following message on social media.

— I am pleased to inform you all that my application for citizenship has been approved by the Austrian government. This is the place that I love, where I am warmly welcomed and where I feel at home. I love being in Vienna, so I’m looking forward to making this city my second home. “I am proud to announce that starting in 2026, I will represent my new homeland, Austria, in my professional tennis career,” Potapova wrote.

Anastasia Potapova / Photo: © Robert Prange / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

There’s no turning back

Fans and experts drew attention to one extremely interesting fact. It turned out that the posts of Potapova and Kasatkina copied each other almost word for word. Both girls called their new countries “a place that they love so much, where they are warmly received and where they feel at home.”

Some condemned Potapova, others tried to support and justify her. But the noise was such that Anastasia had to pick up the phone and write another post on social networks explaining what happened.

“I would like to thank everyone who supports me at this point in my career. This decision was not easy, perhaps the most difficult of my life, but it was based on an understanding of my development as a player and the need to think about my future and the future of my family and friends. It is important for me to grow professionally and get closer to my goals.

I am Russian – this is and will remain inside me for the rest of my life, no matter what anyone says or writes. And I will always be grateful for the opportunities, career and education that I received in Russia. It’s time to start a new chapter of my professional career and reach new heights,” said the tennis player.

These are beautiful and adequate words from Potapova, which now, in any case, will be considered by many as an excuse and an excuse. The logical question would be, why couldn’t all this be said in the original publication? Didn’t she really understand that words about Austria as a “favorite place” would be perceived in at least two ways? Well, now it’s up to Anastasia, who has made her choice.