Russian-born WTA star explains her decision to switch nationality to Uzbekistan

Ewan West 09 Dec 2025 12:25 PM

Kamilla Rakhimova in action

Kamilla Rakhimova has broken her silence after changing her sporting nationality from Russia to Uzbekistan as she expressed her belief that the decision will give her “the best chance to develop as an athlete.”

The Uzbekistan Tennis Federation announced at the start of December that Rakhimova had started representing the Central Asian nation, which is a former Soviet republic.

Rakhimova, who was born in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, had played for Russia since making her debut on the WTA Tour in 2019. Her mother is from Uzbekistan.

Kamilla Rakhimova speaks about switching sporting allegiance from Russia to Uzbekistan

Kamilla Rakhimova has admitted it was “not an easy decision” to change nationality from Russia for Uzbekistan
The world No 97 described the move as “the right step for my future in tennis, both professionally and personally”, but said it “does not erase my roots”
Rakhimova is one of nine players to stop competing for Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine

Sador Kamilov, Secretary General of the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation, highlighted the significance of Rakhimova’s switch to Ukbekistan.

“The arrival of Kamila Rakhimova to the Uzbekistan national team is an event of historic significance,” Kamilov said.

“She has already proven herself to be a strong, competitive tennis player capable of playing on equal terms with the world’s top players.

“We are delighted to welcome Kamila to our team and are confident that she will achieve great victories, go far, and set new records under the Uzbekistan flag.”

Rakhimova reached her career-high singles ranking of world No 60 in December 2024, while she peaked at 55th in the doubles rankings in August this year.

The 24-year-old is currently ranked 97th in the world, having climbed 15 places in the latest WTA Rankings after winning a Challenger tournament in Angers last week.

What did Kamilla Rakhimova say about her nationality switch?

In a post shared on her Instagram account, Rakhimova spoke about her choice to switch allegiance from Russia.

“After a lot of thoughts and discussions with my team and family, I have decided to change my sport nationality,” Rakhimova wrote.

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“This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right step for my future in tennis, both professionally and personally.

“My decision is based on my ambitions, my career goals, and what I feel will give me the best chance to develop as an athlete.

“I want to stress that this change does not erase my roots or my respect for my previous team and federation. I carry my past with gratitude. But now I am looking ahead — to new opportunities, new challenges and new goals.

“Thank you to everyone who supports me. Your messages, your belief in me, and your presence at tournaments mean the world. I hope you will stay with me in this new chapter of my journey.

“With love, Kamilla Rakhimova.”

The trend of tennis players changing allegiance from Russia

Rakhimova is one of nine tennis players to change their citizenship from Russian since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

After Rakhimova’s switch to Uzbekistan, Anastasia Potapova left Russia to start representing Austria last week.

Former WTA world No 8 Daria Kasatkina is the highest-profile star to make the move, having started competing under the Australian flag in March this year.