Varvara Gracheva: Rising Russian tennis star could represent France at French Open this year
Varvara Gracheva has revealed her bid to obtain French citizenship, and could even represent the nation at the French Open next month.
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Gracheva was born in Moscow, but moved to France at the age of 16 and has trained at the Elite Tennis Centre in Cannes for the last six years.
She took a French citizenship exam in November and filed her application papers this month.
Following the defeat to No. 15 seed Kvitova, Gracheva confirmed her paperwork had been submitted and insists she intended to switch nationality before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s something that we never really aim for. So why not? Why not take the opportunity?
“But the decision doesn’t depend on me, there are other people who will decide my future. I will say more if I get my papers. We put all the paperwork in this month.
“I’m doing okay, and my main job is to play tennis. I will be glad to represent maybe both.”
The French Open gets underway at Roland-Garros in Paris on May 28.
Russian and Belarusian players have participated at Grand Slams – except at Wimbledon last year – and on the ATP and WTA tours under neutral flags since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
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