Moscow-born Polina Kudermetova has become the third Russian WTA player in just two months to switch her sporting nationality to Uzbekistan, following world No. 143 Maria Timofeeva and world No. 97 Kamilla Rakhimova.
For a country whose current WTA representatives have largely been ranked outside the Top 1000, Uzbekistan is making a clear statement of intent by rapidly strengthening its women’s tennis presence through the addition of established tour players.
Against the backdrop of ongoing political circumstances, nationality changes have emerged as an increasingly attractive option for Russian athletes, and Kudermetova is the latest to make the move.