Alexander Shevchenko has become the latest Russian tennis player to switch his alliance from Russia to Kazakhstan. The 23-year-old was playing without a flag for the last couple of years due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Now, Shevchenko will represent the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation and his Russian wife could follow suit. This recent development have raised questions about top Russian players such as Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev are both from Russia, having spent a majority of their youth there. Both have proudly represented their country throughout their tennis careers. However, during the last couple of years, Medvedev and Rublev have had to play without a flag.
Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have banned athletes from Belarus and Russia to represent their countries during matches. Hence, the players from these countries play with a neutral flag against their name.
Many tennis stars like Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev and Victoria Azarenka have opted against representing their country and opt for a neutral flag. However, Medvedev and Rublev have so far opted against defecting from Russia. However, both the tennis stars have properties in Monte Carlo and Medvedev has his residence there.
Daniil Medvedev even removed the Russian flag from his profile. The former world number 1 has openly talked about the difficulties her faced as a Russian during his matches, with the crowd against him. However, Medvedev could be playing as a Russian due to his origins. Despite being born in Russia, Medvedev has roots in Belarus, and that is again, another country he cannot represent.
Also, Medvedev’s wife is a Russian, which could be another reason for him opting to represent Russia. Furthermore, pressure from the Russian government could have played a role in Medvedev’s decision to continue playing for Russia. The Russian Tennis Federation is controlled by the government and they would not like to lose top players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev have properties in Monte Carlo
Both Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev have their estates in Monte Carlo. Both the players spend most of their time in Monte Carlo, where they get many benefits as the destination is famously tax-free. However, Rublev once openly talked about how expensive Monte Carlo is and one has to spend more money than anywhere else to buy a property there.
In 2021, Andrey Rublev even came under scrutiny for his view on the decision to ban Russian players. The 26-year-old disagreed with the decision of the ITF and admitted it was unfair on the athletes. Although Rublev was quick to voice his opinion against war, his statement regarding Russian representation showed his love for his country. Now, it will be interesting to see weather Medvedev and Rublev will join the likes of Elena Rybakina, Alexander Bublik and Yulia Putintseva in defecting from Russia to represent some other country.
