This year, tennis watched a wave of Russian-born players change allegiances. For example, Anastasia Potapova reportedly moved to Austria, while Kamilla Rakhimova and Polina Kudermetova switched to Uzbekistan. However, amid this, a familiar name got suddenly dragged back into the discussion – Elena Rybakina. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has long represented Kazakhstan, but recent remarks from Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) president Shamil Tarpischev reignited a debate many thought had been settled years ago.

It all began as Tarpischev addressed the growing list of Russian-born players now competing under different flags. Earlier in the year, Daria Kasatkina began playing under the Australian flag, and Maria Timofeeva also aligned herself with Uzbekistan.

According to Tarpischev, the reasons were valid – some players were seeking better chances to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while others were influenced by financial opportunities. But it was his comments on Rybakina that set off alarm bells.

“She lives in Moscow and has Russian citizenship. Her sports citizenship is Kazakhstan. It was done for her sports career.”

For Kazakhstan’s Tennis Federation (KTF) the response was swift and unambiguous.

“The information circulated with comments by the president of the Russian Tennis Federation, Shamil Tarpishchev, about Elena Rybakina’s citizenship is not true.”

The 26-year-old, who was born in Moscow, represented Russia at the start of her career before taking a Kazakh passport in 2018. Since becoming a Kazakh player, she has become their most successful tennis player. Currently ranked fifth in the world, she won the Wimbledon Championship in 2022.

Clearly pushing back against the narrative of convenience, or so-called ‘sporting citizenship,’ the KTF further added:

“Elena Rybakina does not live in Moscow. She is a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has a Kazakh passport, and is registered in the capital, Astana. Elena herself has repeatedly stated this. Claims that she has ‘Russian citizenship’ or some kind of ‘sports citizenship’ are not true — there is no such thing as ‘sports citizenship’ in Kazakhstan. Elena Rybakina has officially represented Kazakhstan in all international tournaments since 2018 and is a member of the national team.”

And for Elena Rybakina herself, while she remains characteristically silent amid the noise, the message from her federation is clear: her roots, her passport, and her professional identity are firmly planted in Kazakhstan. In a sport obsessed with lines and labels, that might be the final word – at least for now. But guess what?

Even during Kamilla Rakhimova’s switch, Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev made a similar statement.

“This isn’t betrayal, but a desire to play. She remains Russian, but is simply changing her sporting citizenship. These moves are happening because of the upcoming Olympics. She (Rakhimova) wouldn’t have made our national team. She might make it for Uzbekistan. But it’s not a given that she’ll make it. To qualify for the Olympics, you have to be in the top 60 or top 70.”

But as the debate swirls outside the lines, the real perspective that matters belongs to Elena Rybakina herself. While federations’ trade statements and officials argue semantics, Rybakina’s actions over the years have spoken louder than any press release. For Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan has never been a temporary arrangement or a matter of convenience, but as a professional home that backed her when her career was still taking shape. As the noise fades and attention turns inward, the focus now shifts to what Kazakhstan truly means to her…

What does it mean to Elena Rybakina to represent Kazakhstan?

Elena Rybakina has often spoken about how Kazakhstan backed her at a crucial point in her career and offered structure, support, and the freedom to develop without pressure. Kazakhstan gave her the platform, and in return, she delivered the country’s most iconic tennis moments on the global stage. In 2022, after advancing to the Wimbledon final, she admitted that she is really happy representing Kazakhstan. She also highlighted how much they believed in her abilities right from the start.

Then later on, when Rybakina won the Wimbledon Championship by defeating Ons Jabeur in the final, she once again opened up about her love for Kazakhstan.

“Since the moment I started to represent Kazakhstan, I was just happy that I could continue playing and that it was a professional career. So no one knew how it was going to be. So, of course, I’m super happy that in the end everything happened in this way. I think it was a very important decision for me. And with all the support of the Kazakhstan Federation, with the support of (president) Bulat (Utemuratov), I think it’s our win together.”

Speaking about her decision to switch nationally, she once spoke about how everything came together in that moment. The Kazakh Federation was searching for players, and she was looking for some help. Elena Rybakina believes they found each other at the perfect moment. However, her bold move has received criticism time and again in the past as well. For example, during an instance, the two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova said her decision to compete for Kazakhstan is “deeply offensive to all her Russian fans.”

Earlier this year, during an interview on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, Rybakina was asked what it means for her to represent Kazakhstan. The tennis star admitted that she feels Kazakhstan tennis isn’t that popular. But her Wimbledon triumph turned things around.

“After winning Wimbledon, I just remember everyone would speak about this achievement. When I came back, a lot of kids came. And also, after some years, they were telling me from the federation the statistics of how many kids actually want to try and play tennis. So it was really amazing. A lot of support during the year, no matter where you are. You still see some Kazakh flags. It’s just really amazing.”

According to Elena Rybakina, it’s a privilege to play for Kazakhstan, and she feels amazing to receive so much support over there. But what are your thoughts on the increasing trend of nationality switches in tennis?