When Anastasia Potapova and her partner Alexander Shevchenko tied the knot in December 2023, they were a young Russian tennis couple. Now, the 22-year-old WTA player is married to a Kazakhstani, as her husband has changed citizenship.
Born in Russia, in a port city of Rostov-on-Don, Shevchenko had been playing for Russia since he turned pro in 2018. The 23-year-old, currently ranked No.48 on the ATP Tour, has decided to switch his citizenship, amid the increasing difficulties that Russian athletes face due to the political situation.
Shevchenko announced the news in an Instagram story, saying:
Hi everyone, just want to let everyone know that from next week on I will represent Kazakhstan on the court.