WTA Warns Potapova Over Moscow Jersey Incident at Indian Wells
WTA
Anastasia Potapova received a warning from the WTA after causing controversy by wearing Spartak Moscow's jersey at the 2023 Indian Wells Open.
Ahead of the third-round match between the 26th-seeded Potapova and the third-seeded Jessica Pegula, fans probably hoped for drama. But drama in the sense of a competitive tennis match.
Although they got that, there was also a different kind of drama. Potapova has decided to walk onto the court in a Spartak Moscow jersey, which almost immediately caused outrage after it was made public.
Many fans in the stands didn't immediately realize it. Obviously, many were too far away to spot what jersey Potapova had for a brief period, and many also didn't have to be aware of what jersey it was.
So the match was played without any unwanted disruptions. Pegula won it in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the fourth round, setting up a meeting with the 15th-seeded Petra Kvitova.
Meanwhile, however, fans on social media immediately spotted that Potapova wore a jersey of a Russian football team, and many saw it as a provocation amid the ongoing War in Ukraine.
The WTA World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, was one of the players to speak about the incident, and she took a clear stance against the actions of her WTA colleague.
Potapova, on the other hand, claimed that she didn't want to make it seem like a provocation. She said that she has supported the club since her childhood and didn't realize the impact of her actions.
Still, the WTA issued the Russian player a formal warning. This means that if Potapova found herself in a similar controversy in the future, she could face some punishment.
"Regarding the Russian soccer team shirt, the WTA has formally warned the player that this was not acceptable nor an appropriate action. We do not expect to see any reoccurrence of this in the future."
It wasn't the only incident in Indian Wells, as Ukrainian player Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from her match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Tsurenko later revealed that she had a panic attack after a conversation with the WTA CEO, Steve Simon, about the ongoing War in Ukraine.
