One of tennis’ rising stars is set to make a decision that could change the course of her career.
Russian player Vavara Gracheva has enjoyed a promising start to 2023, having regularly made the latter stages of tournaments before finishing as runner-up at the ATX Open. Following another pair of last 16 finishes in Indian Wells and Miami, plans are already in place for the rising star to now represent France.
The 22-year-old's recent results have left her on the cusp of breaking into the world’s top 50 for the first time and it is possible she might become her adopted country's No 2 player by the French Open in late May.
The process now appears to have been pushed forward, with Gracheva taking a French citizen exam and submitting her documents at the start of this month.
Speaking at the Miami Open, Gracheva made it clear that the move had been in the works since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, having lived in the south of France since she was 16.
“When I started the process it was not even close to the situation (the war), nobody knew what was going to happen," she told the Mail.
"It's something that we never really aim for. So why not? Why not take the opportunity? But the decision doesn't depend on me, there are other people who will decide my future. I will say more if I get my papers. We put all the paperwork in this month. I'm doing okay, and my main job is to play tennis. I will be glad to represent maybe both.”
She followed in the footsteps of compatriot Daniil Medevdev, who has also based himself at the Elite Tennis Centre in Cannes since he was a teenager. It is believed other Russian players within the tennis world are considering representing another country.
Gracheva was involved in a high-profile incident after losing the ATX Open final earlier this month to Ukrainian star Marta Kostyuk, who refused to shake her hand at the end of the match.
Gracheva has recently grabbed her first two top 10 wins of 2023, beating No.8 Daria Kasatkina at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Victory over Ons Jabeur in round two in Miami increased that total to three.
"I just probably caught this wave where I'm stable, where I always have a chance to play my game, be aggressive, cause troubles for the others by the game style," Gracheva said, regarding her hot streak. "Just try to keep rolling on this way."
