The Abu Dhabi Open has apologized to Daria Kasatkina for an administrative mistake that listed her as a participant from Spain on the event’s draw ceremony on Sunday.
The error sparked hypothesis that the Russian Kasatkina, ranked No. 11 on the earth, had switched her nationality.
Kasatkina, who’s 6-3 in matches this season and 390-220 throughout her profession, has been enjoying on the tour as a impartial athlete after Russian and Belarusian gamers have been banned from competing underneath their very own flags following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, for which Belarus has been used as a staging floor.
The 27-year-old’s title subsequent to the Spanish flag through the draw for the WTA 500 occasion raised eyebrows, earlier than her workforce denied that she had switched allegiance. Shortly after, organizers apologized for the error.
“We sincerely apologize for the error made by certainly one of our suppliers through the dwell draw, whereby an incorrect nationality was proven alongside the title of Daria Kasatkina,” the organizers stated in a press release posted on social media. “This was totally an administrative mistake and has now been corrected.”
Kasatkina, who has not returned to Russia in additional than two years after popping out as homosexual and being one of many few Russian gamers who’ve publicly spoken out in opposition to the warfare, lives in Dubai but in addition trains in Spain.
“It’s incorrect and we will categorically deny she is switching to Spain,” Kasatkina’s workforce informed the BBC. “This carries some sturdy implications for Daria if the Russian authorities really feel she is attempting to change — which she just isn’t.”
Kasatkina is seeded third within the Abu Dhabi event, which begins on Monday.
Info from Reuters was used on this report.
