Mix-Up in Abu Dhabi Open: Kasatkina's Nationality Blunder Sparks Controversy

The Abu Dhabi Open mistakenly listed Russian tennis star Daria Kasatkina as Spanish during its draw ceremony, leading to speculation about a nationality change. Kasatkina, who competes as a neutral athlete due to geopolitical restrictions, remains Russian. The event's organizers have issued an apology for the administrative error.

The Abu Dhabi Open has faced backlash after mistakenly listing world number 11 tennis player Daria Kasatkina as Spanish during its tournament draw. The erroneous display prompted rumors about a nationality shift, which her team promptly denied.

Despite the administrative mix-up, Kasatkina has been competing as a neutral athlete, given the ban on Russian and Belarusian players from playing under their flags since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The tournament officials have apologized for the mistake, emphasizing it was solely an administrative blunder.

Living in Dubai and training in Spain, Kasatkina has not returned to Russia for over two years. A vocal critic of the Ukraine conflict and an LGBTQ+ advocate, her team stressed that any suggestion of nationality change could have severe repercussions from Russian authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)