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Elina Avanesyan applies for citizenship of Armenia

World No.78 Elina Avanesyan is poised to represent Armenia on the WTA Tour, following her application for Armenian citizenship. The Russian-born tennis player, originally from Pyatigorsk, has deep familial ties to Armenia.

Elina Avanesyan

In an interview with Sportball24 last year, Elina’s father, Ararat, shared their family’s history. They hail from Nagorno-Karabakh and relocated to Pyatigorsk after the 1992 war, where Elina and her two siblings were born. The family’s connection to Armenia has always been strong, with frequent visits and a deep sense of heritage. Ararat explained, “We visited Armenia many times with our family, we also went to Karabakh to show our children our homeland.