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Russian tennis player changes citizenship to compete at Wimbledon

Russian-born tennis player Natela Dzalamidze has changed her citizenship in order to be able to compete at the Championships at Wimbledon, pictured, the Women’s Tennis Association confirmed Monday. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI
Russian-born tennis player Natela Dzalamidze has changed her citizenship in order to be able to compete at the Championships at Wimbledon, pictured, the Women’s Tennis Association confirmed Monday. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo

June 20 (UPI) -- Russian-born tennis player Natela Dzalamidze has changed her citizenship in order to be able to compete at the Championships at Wimbledon, the Women's Tennis Association confirmed Monday.

The WTA website now lists Dzalamidze as being from Georgia on its official biography page.

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The change in citizenship allows Dzalamidze to compete at the tournament at the All England Club in Wimbledon.

In April, the most prestigious tennis event on the calendar, announced it would bar Russian and Belarusian players from this year's tournament due to the countries' support for the war in Ukraine.

The 29-year-old Dzalamidze is currently ranked 43rd in the world among female players. The doubles specialist will compete with her partner, Serbia's Aleksandra Krunić at the tournament.

It's not clear how Dzalamidze was able to meet the requirements to change her citizenship or when she began the process.

Dzalamidze competed under the neutral flag at the French Open, which ended June 5.

In a statement to The Times, the WTA said it was unable to stop Dzalamidze from changing her citizenship.

She has a career record of 322 wins and 207 losses in doubles events, including a pair of titles, and has earned over $371,000 in prize money during her career, according to the WTA.

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Wimbledon begins June 27.

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