Former world No 1 says ‘good riddance’ after Anastasia Potapova’s nationality switch
The typically savage Yevgeny Kafelnikov has delivered his harsh verdict following Anastasia Potapova’s decision to change her nationality, asking should “I cry about it?”
Potapova has become the latest Russian-born player to represent a new country as the world No 51 is now an Austrian citizen with the move getting the rubber stamp ahead of the 2026 WTA Tour season.
“I am delighted to let you all know that my citizenship application has been accepted by the Austrian Government,” she wrote.
“Austria is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home.”
The 24-year-old joins a growing list of Russian players who have switched nationality since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with former world No 8 Daria Kasatkina the highest-ranked player to switch her allegiance in recent years.
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But former world No 1 Kafelnikov will not be shedding any tears over Potapova’s decision to no longer play for the country of her birth.
“I take no pleasure in commenting on this news. Give some sort of verdict on this topic? I don’t need to,” The two-time Grand Slam winner told Russia’s Sport-Express.
“She changed [nationality], fine — what am I supposed to do now, cry about it? A strong athlete? What has she ever won for Russia? You won’t say, and I won’t either. So good riddance.”
Potapova has reached a high of No 21 in the WTA Rankings as she reached that milestone in June 2023 while she has won three WTA Tour singles trophies with the first coming at the Istanbul Cup in 2022, the second in the home of her new country, the Linz Open, in 2023 and the most recent at the Transylvania Open in February 2025.
She is yet to reach the quarter-final of a Grand Slam with her best performance a run to the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2024 while she has reached the last eight at three WTA 1000 events.
As for Kafelnikov, it is not the first time that the former world No 1 has lashed out as last year he slammed then world No 1 Iga Swiatek for complaining about the lengthy tennis schedule.
“Is someone pushing you to play??? All you fricking do is complain!!” the Russian wrote on social media.
“I’ll tell you what you deserve! You deserve to get paid a lot less than you do now!! How about that??”
