Potapova Sparks Outrage by Wearing Moscow Jersey in Indian Wells
WTA
Currently, Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete on the ATP and WTA Tour but under certain conditions.
One of those conditions is that players from these countries have to compete under a neutral flag because of an ongoing War in Ukraine. In the past, the likes of Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev called for peace, but Anastasia Potapova made a very interesting choice at the 2023 Indian Wells.
During her third-round match against Jessica Pegula at the 2023 Indian Wells, she arrived at the tennis court wearing a Spartak Moscow jersey.
That wouldn't be weird as the likes of Victoria Azarenka also showed their support to teams in the past. The Belarusian often wears a jersey of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the French football team, while Nick Kyrgios likes to practice in jerseys of various NBA teams.
However, Potapova's situation is different. The Russian player is competing under a neutral flag, and it wasn't a surprise that when she chose to wear a jersey of a Russian football club, many fans saw it as a provocation.
The move once again opened a discussion about a possible ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the upcoming Wimbledon, and it was perceived as an unnecessary move by many.
The 26th-seeded Potapova was doing well in Indian Wells, winning her second-round match against Xiyu Wang before losing to Pegula 6-3, 4-6, 5-7. Apart from questions about her loss, the Russian player will likely also have to answer questions about her choice of clothing as well.
It's not the first time that Potapova wore the jersey as she took a picture in it during her practice session in Dubai. It's clear that she supports the team, but the question is whether wearing the jersey at this time was appropriate. The WTA has yet to respond to the incident.
