Daria Kasatkina has reacted on social media after fellow WTA Tour player Anastasia Potapova was accused of ‘copying’ her former compatriot’s message regarding her own citizenship change.
World No 51 Potapova announced on Thursday that she would begin to represent Austria from the start of the 2026 season, becoming the ninth Russian to change citizenship since the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since March 2022, Russian and Belarusian players have been competing as neutral athletes on the ATP and WTA Tours, and were initially banned from Wimbledon in 2022.
Potapova’s decision to change citizenship has come as somewhat of a surprise and has been met with a rather cool reception within Russian tennis, with former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov bidding “good riddance” to the 24-year-old.
Her announcement comes just days after she competed at the controversial Northern Palmyra Trophies exhibition in St. Petersburg, an event sponsored by Gazprom — a company accused of funding Russia’s invasion.
The winner of three WTA titles, Potapova’s decision to change citizenship follows less than nine months since Kasatkina made the same decision in March 2025.
A former world No 8 and winner of eight WTA Tour titles, Kasatkina is by far and away the most high-profile player to change citizenship since February 2022, announcing an immediate switch to Australia earlier this year.
The 28-year-old is openly gay and has openly spoken out against Russia’s strict anti-LBGTQ+ laws, while she has also condemned the invasion of Ukraine.
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Now, the world No 37 has reacted online after one fan pointed out clear similarities between the statement Potapova issued on Thursday, and her own statement from March.
Both statements start with the exact same phrase: “I am delighted to let you all know that…”
There are further apparent similarities between the two statements, most notably a similar section in both statements that reads: “…a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home.”
Reacting to a post highlighting the similarities on X, formerly Twitter, Kasatkina merely quote-tweeted the post — with an image of the two statements together — with a skull emoji.
The 28-year-old further clarified that she and Potapova were not from the “same agency”, dismissing suggestions that the same PR team could have drafted similar messages.
And no, we are not from same agency
— Daria Kasatkina (@DKasatkina) December 5, 2025
Below, both Potapova’s and Kasatkina’s statements are presented unedited and in full.
Anastasia Potapova’s full statement (December 2025)
“I am delighted to let you all know that my application for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian Government.
“Austria is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Wien and look forward to making my second home there. As part of this I am proud to announce that starting from 2026 I will be representing my new homeland Austria in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.”
Daria Kasatkina’s full statement (March 2025)
“I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government. Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.
“Obviously, there are parts of this decision that have not been easy. I want to express my thanks and gratitude to my family, coaches, and everyone who has supported me throughout my tennis journey to date. I will always have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, but I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my career and life under the Australian flag.
“Thank you all for your understanding and continued support.”
The post Anastasia Potapova accused of ‘copying’ Daria Kasatkina’s social media post about citizenship change appeared first on Tennis365.
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