Russia player becomes Georgian...to play at SW19

A Russian tennis player has circumvented Wimbledon’s ban on all competitors from her country by changing her nationality to Georgian before next week’s championships.

Natela Dzalamidze, a 29-year-old doubles player ranked No 44 in the world, will compete in the women’s doubles with Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic after the sport’s authorities approved the switch in time for last week’s entry deadline. It is not known when her application was first made but insiders have told The Times that she satisfied the necessary requirements.

The All England Club announced on April 20 that all entries from Russia and Belarus would be declined this year because of the invasion of Ukraine. Its statement said that “it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with the championships”.

Some officials were concerned about the possibility of the Duchess of Cambridge, patron of the All England Club, having to present a Russian or Belarusian with the trophy.

A spokesman for the All England Club insisted today that it had no involvement in Dzalamidze’s change of nationality. The verification process is conducted through the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), with the presentation of a valid passport from Georgia required.
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I wouldn’t have watched if they had let Russians play.