Change your nationality, from Russian to Georgian, in order to get around the ban on playing at Wimbledon.
According to an article in The Times newspaper, this is Natela Dzalamidze, a 29-year-old doubles player ranked No. 44 in the world, who will compete in the women’s doubles with the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic in the London tournament that will start on June 27th.
Wimbledon organizers announced in April that Russian and Belarusian tennis players would be barred from competing this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for the All England Club told the Times that there is scope for action on their part in the event of a change of nationality as with the Dzalamidze who met the admission requirements. “The nationality of the players, defined as the flag under which they play in professional events, is an agreed process that is governed by the tours and the ITF,” said the spokesperson.
The ban on Wimbledon players from Russia and Belarus has sparked controversy around the tennis world, with the WTA and the ATP, its male equivalent, depriving the tournament of points in the standings. None of the other Grand Slam tournaments followed Wimbledon’s lead, with the US Open announcing last week that Russian and Belarusian players will be able to compete under a neutral flag. The Wimbledon ban excluded a number of top players, including Daniil Medvedev, the men’s world number one and reigning US Open champion, as well as two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka.
Source: Ansa
I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years now and I have worked for some of the biggest news websites in the world. My focus has always been on entertainment news, but I also cover a range of other topics. I am currently an author at Global happenings and I love writing about all things pop-culture related.
