Alexander Shevchenko is the latest tennis player to switch allegiances, as he'll now represent Kazakhstan instead of his native Russia.
Russian-born tennis players switching to representing Kazakhstan isn't anything new, as we've seen several players do it in the past. The most notable example is Elena Rybakina, who switched years ago, long before even being established.
It was the right move for her as she got funding and developed into one of the best players in the world. She's proud of it and dismissed claims by Russian tennis officials that the country won Wimbledon instead of Kazakhstan.
Other notable examples include Alexander Bublik, Yulia Putintseva, and others who, too, made the switch. Now, Shevchenko will join them, joining Bublik as a new Davis Cup teammate.
Another Russian, Varvara Gracheva, is another player who switched her allegiance recently because of that, though she opted for France instead of Kazakhstan. There were rumblings about this for a while, but it was only recently that Shevchenko announced it on his social media.
"Hi everyone, just want to let everyone know that from next week on I will represent Kazakhstan on the court. I'm very proud about it and can't wait to step on the court,trying to make memorable moments for myself and the country."
He's a Top 50 ranked player and has been playing some excellent tennis lately. Shevchenko is also part of a popular tennis couple together with Russian player Anastasia Potapova. They announced their engagement last year and have gotten married in the meantime.
We'll see if Potapova also switches allegiance or whether she continues playing for Russia, but her past actions suggest that may not happen. As for Shevchenko, he joins a pretty solid list of players representing Kazakhstan and bolsters the country's Davis Cup team, which was already pretty solid.
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