By Richard Pagliaro Monday, December 12, 2025
Image source: Hameltion/Wikimedia Commons
The exodus of Russian tennis players continues.
Polina Kudermetova is the latest Russian-born tennis player to change nationality.
Polina Kudermetova, ranked 104th in the world, sister Veronika Kudermetovarepresenting Uzbekistan from 2026, Uzbekistan Tennis Federation announced today.
Former world No. 54 Polina Kudermetova has appeared on the WTA website: Her player page features the Uzbek flag.
“Polina Kudermetova will [play] The Uzbekistan Tennis Federation announced that “Russian tennis player Polina Kudermetova has officially changed her sporting citizenship and now represents Uzbekistan on the international stage.” The updated flag has been displayed on the ITF and WTA websites.
“Currently, Kudermetova is ranked 104th in the WTA rankings, with a highest ranking of 54th (April 14, 2025). This female athlete has 9 ITF singles championships.”
11 days later, Polina Kudermetova changed countries Anastasia Potapova There is a huge change in nationality ahead of the 2026 season.
The 24-year-old Potapova, who was born in Saratov, Russia, will compete as an Austrian starting next month.
Last March, Darya Kasatkina Announced that she was changing her nationality from Russian to Australian.
“Australia is a place I love, it’s so welcoming and welcoming and makes me feel at home,” Kasatkina posted on X. “I love Melbourne and look forward to making my home there.
“As part of this, I am proud to announce that from now on I will be embarking on a professional tennis career representing my new home country of Australia.”
Kasatkina, who came out as gay in 2022, said Russia’s treatment of LGBTQ people and her feeling unsafe in her home country after criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were factors in her decision to move to Australia.
“I will always respect and appreciate my roots, but I’m excited to start the next chapter of my career and life under the Australian flag,” Kasatkina posted on social media.
Just days after the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation announced that Russia would switch to Austria, Potapova publicly switched to Austria. Kamila Rashimova Will now represent Uzbekistan in what the federation calls a “historic event” for the country’s tennis federation. Rashimova and Polina Kudermetova join Maria Timofeeva Change country to play for Uzbekistan.
born in moscow Elena Rybakina Back in June 2018, she changed her citizenship from Russia to Kazakhstan, primarily to obtain funding for her tennis career from Kazakhstan.
2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina made history by becoming the first Kazakhstani to break into the top 10 in the world.
Rybakina was born in Moscow and changed careers six years later Yulia Putintseva Left the Russian Tennis Federation and represented Kazakhstan.
