Russian Tennis Player Takes a Bold Decision to Play Wimbledon Championship 2022

Wimbledon decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players recently and it has been a topic of debate for a long time now. While the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club defended its decision, many tennis players and experts opposed the idea. Although many players have accepted their fate, a Russian doubles player did not give up easily.

Natela Dzalamidze is all set to take part in the women’s doubles category of Wimbledon after switching her nationality.

Natela Dzalamidze switches nationality

Russian tennis star Natela Dzalamidze would not have played in Wimbledon because of the ban this year. However, the 29-year-old has switched her nationality to Georgian before the deadline entry date. Notably, Natela is a doubles player and has a rank of Number 44 in the world. She will partner with Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the Women’s doubles category of the grass court Grand Slam event.

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Commenting on the same, a spokesperson from All England Club clarified that WTA and ITF are responsible for conducting the change and a valid passport from Georgia needs to be presented.

Dzalamidze was born in Moscow on February 27, 1993, but her family connection with Georgia is still unclear.

Wimbledon to be played without ranking points

The decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in this year’s Wimbledon did not go well with the tennis governing bodies. In separate statements, both ATP and WTA condemned the decision and later decided to strip the Grand Slam event of ranking points. The decision from the All England Club was termed as discrimination based on nationality and breach of contract with ATP and WTA.

The ranking point snub has affected the rankings of players who did well in the grass-court Grand Slam earlier. Also, the decision has impacted many players’ will to take part in the mega-event. Notably, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard have already withdrawn from the tournament. However, the organizers have done their best to attract players to the tournament by increasing the prize money this year.

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However, for legends like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, neither prize money nor ranking points are a problem, as they are participating in the tournament with the goal of winning another Grand Slam. While the fight is between organizers and governing bodies, the players are paying a heavy price. Although a few players like Dzalamidze might get lucky, there’s still a long list of players who will be disappointed to miss out.