"I am more than excited to begin this new chapter of my life," Timofeeva officially announces her change of nationality

World No. 146, Maria Timofeeva, born in Russia, will now represent another country.

Born in Moscow in 2003, Timofeeva announced a major change in recent hours on social media. The Russian, currently ranked 146th in the world and a former WTA No. 93, will now represent Uzbekistan. The player herself announced the news on her Instagram account in recent hours.

"Hello everyone, I am honored to officially announce that I have just obtained Uzbek citizenship and that from today, I will proudly represent Uzbekistan.

I am more than excited to begin this new chapter of my life, and I look forward to playing my first match tomorrow (today) as a Uzbek player. Thank you all for your tremendous support," wrote the 21-year-old player.

Currently competing at the WTA 125 tournament in Rovereto, Italy, Timofeeva will face Tyra Caterina Grant, an American player who was naturalized Italian this year, in her opening match.

For several years, several Russian players have changed their nationality. Besides Rybakina and Putintseva, born in Russia but now representing Kazakhstan, Avanesyan (Armenia), Gracheva, Efremova (France), and Kasatkina (Australia) have also been affected on the WTA tour.