LONDON
\nRussian-born tennis player Natela Dzalamidze said her decision to change nationality to Georgian was motivated by her desire to play at the Olympics and that being able to compete at Wimbledon was a bonus.
\nIn April, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing at Wimbledon due to the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a \u201cspecial military operation\u201d.
\nBelarus has been a key staging area for the invasion. Dzalamidze\u2019s nationality is Georgian in Wimbledon\u2019s entry list, allowing her to partner Serbian Aleksandra Krunic in the women\u2019s doubles at the Grand Slam.
\nThe WTA Tour said in a statement Dzalamidze had complied with the regulations for changing nationality.
\n\u201cIn Natela\u2019s case, she submitted a Georgian passport and ID as she has dual citizenship, and, as a result, her nationality has been officially changed within the WTA system,\u201d it said. \u201cThis took place prior to the finalisation and release of the Wimbledon entry lists.\u201d
\nDzalamidze, whose father is Georgian, said the depth of Russian tennis and the country\u2019s suspension from the Billie Jean King Cup, which players have to compete in to fulfil ITF participation requirements for the Olympics, led to the switch.
\n\u201cMy decision was made because I am focusing on my career and would like to have the chance to compete at the Olympic Games,\u201d the 29-year-old told the Times.
\n\u201cThe first discussion I had with the WTA was during Indian Wells at the beginning of March. If I made the decision to play for Georgia and have a chance to play Wimbledon, why not?
\n\u201cAt the moment I have my best ranking and my perspective is now much better in Georgia.\u201d
\nWimbledon, which begins on June 27, has been stripped of its ranking points by the ATP and WTA Tours over its decision to exclude players from Russia and Belarus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Russian-born tennis player Natela Dzalamidze said her decision to change nationality to Georgian was motivated by her desire to play at the Olympics and that being able to compete at Wimbledon was a bonus. In April, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing at Wimbledon due to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-267450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n