Competing in tennis is seen as prestigious. Taking on match after match around the globe is an honor, with their country’s flag beside their name. But sometimes, players may shake things up. They switch nationalities and citizenships for different reasons, like the 2021 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Born in Russia, she started representing Kazakhstan in June 2018 after receiving stronger financial and developmental support from its federation. Or this year, Daria Kasatkina changed her tennis nationality from Russia to Australia after gaining permanent residency there. She called Australia “incredibly welcoming” and “a place where I feel totally at home.” Now, Ekaterina Alexandrova might be thinking about following their path.

On Friday, the 30-year-old Russian player, currently competing at the Ningbo Open, sat down for an open chat with First&Red. When asked, “Have you been approached with offers to play for the Czech flag?” A tough question, but she opened up about the idea being a real possibility. Having represented Russia for nearly a decade, she reflected honestly.

She said, “Well, not exactly like that, but they did suggest that it would be much easier to travel the world and Europe with a Czech passport. At one point I was considering it. But then I had to collect a lot of paperwork, this thing and that, and eventually it went on the back burner and for whatever reason I never went back to it.” For now, she’s keeping her Russian citizenship. She still competes under the Russian flag.

A look at Ekaterina Alexandrova’s history reveals how deep her roots run in Russia. was born on 15th November 1994 in Chelyabinsk, where her love for tennis started early on public courts. Her journey soon took her beyond those hometown courts, as in 2006, she moved with her family to the Czech Republic to train full-time. It was a bold leap, and one built on her family’s sacrifice so she could chase her dream.

They settled in Prague, turning a new city into a tennis home. Interestingly, a while back when Alexandrova was offered Czech citizenship. While she considered accepting it, she claimed that an inner voice eventually prevented her from switching nationalities. She later made her WTA debut in 2016 and has remained a steady presence on tour ever since.

She has six WTA titles to her name, five in singles. Not to mention, Alexandrova lifted the Billie Jean King Cup in 2021 and received the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia in 2022. Ekaterina Alexandrova broke onto the tour back in 2016; she now stands tall as the No.2 Russian in the WTA rankings.

But after the start of the CBO in 2022, the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later found that decision discriminatory, ruling it violated the principles of political neutrality and non-discrimination. Even so, the 30-year-old currently competes without a flag beside her name, unlike most players.

For now, it’s undecided what she’ll choose next. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, she’s making waves on the tennis court! She’s finally broken into the WTA Top 10 and is on a strong run through the Asian swing.

Ekaterina Alexandrova makes strides in the Ningbo Open

Alexandrova first cracked the Top 20 in 2022, hit No. 16 in 2023, and reached No. 15 in 2024. But 2025 has been the real breakthrough. She lifted the biggest trophy of her career at the WTA 500 in Linz, the cozy indoor hard-court event held right after the Australian Open, and carried that momentum all season.

On Monday, Ekaterina Alexandrova finally made it official. She broke into the WTA Top 10 for the first time in her career, the reward for a brilliant year on tour. Her rise came thanks to three WTA 500 finals in 2025, with a win in Linz and runner-up runs in Monterrey and Seoul. She played with sharp focus week after week, showing a consistency that’s turned heads.

And she didn’t stop there. Alexandrova reached four semifinals, including a strong showing at the WTA 1000 in Doha, plus two more quarterfinals. She also reached the fourth round at three straight Grand Slams: Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. The result that sealed her Top 10 debut came last week in Wuhan when she made the round of 16, coincidentally her 16th round of 16 of the year.

She also passed 40 match-wins this season, a first in her career, and grabbed another statement moment in Doha by defeating the reigning World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. The five-time WTA singles champion is now the third player this year to break into the Top 10 after Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova, confirming her place among the best.

Now comes the big question: can she make the WTA Finals? It’s a slim shot. Several events in Japan and China remain before the season-ending championships in Saudi Arabia. Alexandrova sits about 1000 points behind Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina, both still alive in Wuhan. Still, what a leap this has been. Maybe 2026 will be the year Ekaterina Alexandrova makes her loudest noise yet. What do you think?