Wimbledon Under Pressure as Russian Player Escapes Ban by Switching Nationality

Natela Dzalamidze will team up with doubles partner Aleksandra Krunic from Serbia on June 27.

Wimbledon 2022: Russian, Belarusian players banned from tournament.

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Natela Dzalamidze, a 29-year-old doubles player hailing from Moscow, Russia, evaded the ban and catapulted into the Wimbledon competition after she switched her nationality to Georgia.

The 29-year-old competed at the French Open in May under a neutral flag and at Wimbledon, she will compete in the women's doubles event with Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic.

Earlier this year, Wimbledon had barred tennis players from Russia and Belarus from participating in the showpiece event, citing Russia's assault on Ukraine as the reason. The move to ban players drew flak from tennis' apex bodies - the Women's Tennis Association and its male counterpart, the Association of Tennis Professionals as the tournament was docked ranking points.

Regarding Dzalamidze's participation, The All England Lawn Tennis Club's hands got tied as the jurisdiction of change of nationality fell under the sport's parents bodies - the WTA and ITF. Dzalamidze had ticked all the boxes as per the head bodies' guidelines, a spokesperson of the event organiser told the Times.

"Player nationality, defined as the flag they play under at professional events, is an agreed process that is governed by tours and the ITF," the spokesperson said.

Apart from Wimbledon, the three other Grand Slams have not banned Russian players from participating.

Tennis superstars like the current men's world number one Daniil Medvedev and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka will be missing out because of this prohibition. US Open has stated last week that Russian and Belarussian players can take part in the competition, under a neutral flag.

Spanish superstar, two-time Wimbledon and 21-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal has lent his support to his Russian colleagues.

"It's not their fault what's happening with the war," said the winner of two Grand Slams in 2022.