Anna Blinkova adopts French citizenship to represent France in tennis

Tennis player Anna Blinkova has obtained French citizenship and will represent France in future WTA competitions. Currently ranked 94th in the world, Blinkova becomes the second French player in the WTA top 100, following Varvara Gracheva.

While she will compete for France in WTA tournaments, regulations from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) prevent her from representing the country in the Billie Jean King Cup or the Olympic Games. This restriction is due to her having previously represented Russia in a 2020 doubles match.

Blinkova, a former winner of the 2022 Transylvania Open, joins a growing number of Russian players who have changed their sporting nationality in recent years, including Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), Daria Kasatkina (Australia), and Anastasia Potapova (Austria).