The Austrian Tennis Association welcomes the decision of Russian-born Anastasia Potapova.
Russian-born Anastasia Potapova will play for Austria starting in 2026. The tennis player announced this on Thursday. “Austria is a country that I love, that is incredibly hospitable and where I feel at home. I love being in Vienna and look forward to finding my second home there,” the 24-year-old wrote on Instagram.
The Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) welcomed the decision. “We warmly welcome her to the Austrian tennis family,” said ÖTV President Martin Ohneberg: “She is an asset to the sport and we look forward to her contribution to the further development of our team.”
Potapova directly becomes the Austrian number one
Potapova is currently ranked 51st in the world. At the end of November, she was still competing for her home country in St. Petersburg, Russia, together with her boyfriend Tallon Griekspoor. In his home country of the Netherlands, her participation had caused criticism due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, with even Foreign Minister David van Weel speaking out.
Potapova will now be competing on the tour as Austria’s number one. Julia Grabher (94th) is currently the only Austrian woman in the top 100.
It was only in March that Russian top player Daria Kasatkina turned to the Australian Tennis Association.