World No.58 Elina Avanesyan has been formally granted Armenian citizenship and will start representing the country during the North American hardcourt swing.
The 21-year-old had been representing Russia on the Tour but in recent months confirmed her intention to represent the country where both of her parents are from. Her family moved to Russia from Nagorno-Karabakh following the outbreak of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War which ended eight years before the tennis player was born. According to the WTA website, Avanesyan is currently listed as the only player representing Armenia with a singles ranking.
“I am extremely proud to represent the Armenian flag at the Cincinnati Open and US Open,” Avanesyan said in an official press release.
“It is an extraordinary opportunity and a tribute to my roots, my family, and my community, who have always supported me. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Keron Development Foundation for supporting throughout this process.”
“I aim to achieve great results as an Armenian athlete and have ambitious goals to bring the country significant success in the world of tennis over the coming years.”
Earlier this season, Avanesyan scored high-profile wins over Maria Sakkari at the Australian Open, Ons Jabeur in Charleston, and Qinwen Zhang at the French Open. Last month she reached her first WTA final at the 2024 Iași Open in Romania where she retired from the third set of her match against Mirra Andreeva due to injury.
Speaking about her change in allegiance, Avanesyan says she hopes to be a role model to others and encourage more people to take up tennis.
“I dream of being an inspiration for Armenian citizens, especially amongst younger generations,” she said.
“I want to be a role model for aspiring athletes and encourage young people to take up sport. My goal is to strengthen tennis in Armenia and ignite a passion in a new generation of athletes.”
The first tournament where she will be representing her country will be the Cincinnati Open. She also plans to play at the Tennis in the Land event in Ohio before the US Open.
