Russian-born tennis player Maria Timofeeva, 21, has officially changed her sporting nationality and will now represent Uzbekistan in Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments. The change is reflected in her updated WTA profile, where the flag next to her name now displays Uzbekistan.
The Uzbekistan Tennis Federation’s Deputy Chair, Iroda Tulyaganova, confirmed the move, stating:
«Yes, Maria Timofeeva has officially changed her citizenship and now represents Uzbekistan. Her parents have also been living in Tashkent for more than six months.»
Born in Moscow, Timofeeva competed for Russia until October 2025 and is regarded as one of the promising young players on the circuit. She currently ranks 264th in the WTA standings.
Timofeeva claimed her first WTA title in Budapest in 2023 as a lucky loser and reached her career-high ranking of 93 on April 1, 2024. Her current ranking stands at 143.
Kursiv also reports that Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of the China Open after sustaining an injury during her successful US Open title defence.
