Kamilla Rakhimova becomes second Russian player to switch to Uzbekistan amid war
NewsMonday, 01 December 2025 at 14:10
Kamilla
Rakhimova, the World No. 112 in the WTA singles rankings from Russia, has
switched to Uzbekistan.
Rakhimova
has become the second player from her country to change allegiance to
Uzbekistan since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. Her decision
comes two months after Maria Timofeeva joined the Uzbek national tennis team.
She has a career-high
ranking of 60 in singles and is currently ranked 55th in doubles. The Tennis
Federation of Uzbekistan announced the switch through a press release.
"The arrival of Kamila Rakhimova to the Uzbekistan national team is an event of historic significance. She has already proven herself to be a strong, competitive tennis player capable of playing on equal terms with the world’s top players. We are delighted to welcome Kamila to our team and are confident that she will achieve great victories, go far, and set new records under the Uzbekistan flag."- Sador Kamilov, Secretary General, Tennis Federation of Uzbekistan
Rakhimova
was born in Yekaterinburg, the fourth most populous city in Russia, but shares
a connection with Uzbekistan through her mother Rufina, who played for the
Uzbek SSR in her younger days. Also, the World No. 112's elder brother, Timur, was born in Tashkent.
The WTA,
along with other international governing bodies, suspended the Russian and
Belarusian tennis federations in March 2022. It allowed players from these
countries to compete on the tours but under a neutral flag.
The move
came after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine due to political turmoil. The
suspension remains in effect as the conflict continues.
Rakhimova
joins the growing list of tennis players ditching the Russian Tennis
Federation in recent times. Among the notable names on the list are Daria
Kasatkina (Australia), Natela Dzelamidze (Georgia) and ATP’s Alexander
Shevchenko (Kazakhstan).
Kamilla Rakhimova is still chasing a WTA title in singles
Rakhimova
turned professional in 2018 but has yet to win a singles title on the WTA Tour.
She won a WTA 125 title in 2024 in Guadalajara.
In doubles,
the 24-year-old boasts of three trophies. She opened her tally in February
2021, when she won the Phillip Island Trophy with Ankita Raina. Nine months
later, she and Natela Dzalamidze prevailed at the Linz Open. Last year in
April, she marched to victory with Cristina Bucsa at the Copa Colsanitas.
Rakhimova
hasn’t played the fourth round of a Grand Slam in singles yet. She made the
third round at the US Open in 2021, the French Open in 2023, and the 2025 Wimbledon
Championships, where she famously defeated No. 4 seed Jasmine Paoline in the
second round.
In doubles,
her best result at Majors came at this year’s Australian Open, where she joined
forces with Sara Sorribes Tormo to reach the quarterfinals.
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