The Russian Tennis Federation is furious and demands compensation from players who have switched nationalities, with Potapova and Kasatkina becoming the main concerns.

The Russian tennis authority has finally taken action against former Russian players who have switched to other countries! The news caused a huge stir once it broke in the media.

When the Ukrainian media obozrevatel exposed the compensation case filed by the Russian Tennis Federation, besides the shock, the public wanted to know who was the first player targeted by the federation. After all, many players have changed nationality from Russia in recent years without incident, so why is someone suddenly “unlucky” now?

Once Avanesyan was identified as the player being claimed against, fans and netizens immediately questioned why it was her. Avanesyan seemed so well-behaved, focused only on playing tennis, and apparently had never offended the Russian Tennis Federation. It was truly unexpected.

Avanesyan, aged 23, switched allegiance from Russia to Armenia in August 2024 and has since represented Armenia in competitions, becoming one of the more notable figures in this small tennis nation.

According to the Ukrainian media, the Russian Tennis Federation’s claim against Avanesyan is indeed related to her nationality change, citing “breach of training contract terms” as the reason. Therefore, Avanesyan must compensate for part of the training fees incurred before her nationality switch and some of the prize money earned while representing Armenia.

Russian media reports on this matter also clearly state that the National Sports Arbitration Center of Russia has accepted the case and ruled in favor of the Russian Tennis Federation’s compensation claim, requiring Avanesyan to cover these costs.

After this incident was made public by the media, Avanesyan instantly became a figure of widespread sympathy online. Although the exact amount she must pay the Russian Tennis Federation is unknown, it is certain that the financial burden will be stressful for her.

Although Avanesyan’s world ranking reached as high as 36 in March this year, her poor performance in the 2025 season has dropped her out of the top 100. Given her current low ranking, she obviously hasn’t earned much money. Coupled with her relatively recent entry into the professional adult circuit, suddenly being hit with a compensation claim from her original country’s federation due to the nationality change is undoubtedly a severe setback.

This incident has caused such a strong reaction in public opinion because previously, when the Russian tennis authorities discussed players changing nationality, they emphasized that it had “nothing to do with betrayal,” leading many fans and netizens to believe the federation sympathized with players’ difficult situations in Russia and showed maximum tolerance and understanding regarding nationality changes. No one expected the sudden move to demand compensation from those players.

Some commentators bluntly stated that the Russian Tennis Federation’s open claim against Avanesyan indicates they have been worried about the ongoing talent drain to other countries. They fear that if this trend escalates, it could completely drain the talent pool from Russian tennis. By targeting Avanesyan’s case, the federation likely aims to warn other Russian players considering switching nationality not to act recklessly, or they risk suffering the same consequences.

At the end of the 2025 season, when summarizing the year’s key tennis topics, many netizens mentioned “Russian players changing nationality,” indicating that the talent loss from Russia has indeed become quite serious. For example, well-known players like Rybakina, Bublik, and Putintseva previously switched from Russia to Kazakhstan.

In 2025, the number of Russian players changing nationality seemed to surge, with Kasatkina, Rashimova, Potapova, Kudermetova, and Timofeeva all abandoning the Russian Tennis Federation to compete under new nationalities.

Moreover, after the Avanesyan compensation case surfaced, fans and netizens speculated about who might be next in the federation’s sights, immediately pointing to Potapova.

Potapova has become a major concern mainly because recently the Russian Tennis Federation’s vice president, Kafelnikov, harshly criticized her when discussing her nationality switch to Austria. This clearly shows Potapova is very unpopular with Kafelnikov, who represents the Russian tennis authority. With the door opened by Avanesyan’s compensation claim, Potapova’s prospects look grim.

Of course, some also say Kasatkina could be the next key target because her relationship with her original country is tense and sensitive. If the compensation cases officially begin, she likely won’t escape unscathed.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit Starry Sky)