Abu Dhabi Tournament Apologizes to Russia’s Kasatkina Over Nationality Error
The Abu Dhabi Open tennis tournament has apologized to world No. 11 Daria Kasatkina for an administrative error that mistakenly listed her as a Spanish player during Sunday’s tournament draw, sparking speculation that she had changed her nationality.
Kasatkina has been competing as a neutral athlete under the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) after Russian and Belarusian players were banned from representing their countries due to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which also involved Belarus.
Her name appeared alongside the Spanish flag during the 500-point tournament draw, causing confusion. However, her team denied any change in nationality, and the tournament organizers later issued an apology.
“We deeply apologize for the mistake made by one of our vendors during the live draw, where an incorrect nationality was displayed next to Daria Kasatkina’s name. This was purely an administrative error, and it has now been corrected,” the organizers said in a statement on social media.
Kasatkina, 27, has not returned to Russia in over two years since coming out as gay. She is among the few Russian athletes who have openly spoken against the war. She currently resides in Dubai but also trains in Spain.
Her team told the BBC: “This is not true, and we can categorically deny that she is switching her nationality to Spain. Such a move could have serious consequences if Russian authorities believed she was trying to renounce her citizenship, which she is not.”
Reuters has reached out to Kasatkina’s team for further comment.
Kasatkina is the third seed in the Abu Dhabi tournament, which began on Monday.
