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Russian tennis star Anastasia Potapova has promised not to wear a Spartak Moscow jersey again as she does not want to be the one who makes the headlines for the wrong reasons. In Indian Wells, Potapova came out for one of her matches wearing a Russian football club Spartak Moscow jersey.
Potapova immediately received a backlash as some thought she was sending a provocative political message. Afterward, Potapova claimed she was just a huge Spartak fan and that was the only reason why she wore the team's jersey.
The WTA reacted by formally warning Potapova. "There was no fine, it was just a warning - they said not to do it again. If this happened again, then I would either not be awarded points for the tournament where I did it, or I would be fined $5,000 (£4,000).
Naturally, the choice would have fallen on money, not points. I don’t like to break any rules on purpose. Therefore, this will not happen the second time. I respect the place where I work," Potapova told Russian news agency TASS.
Potapova set to return to Wimbledon
Two weeks ago, Wimbledon officially confirmed what was speculated for weeks - Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to return to The Championships in 2023. Wimbledon is the biggest and most prestigious tournament in the world as Potapova is looking forward to returning to The All England Club.
"I think this is a pleasant decision for us, of course. It was very unexpected and pleasant. Again, no one could influence this situation, we just had to wait and hope. We’re really glad that it happened," Potapova said.
Potapova, 22, has made three main draw appearances at Wimbledon so far in her career. In those three appearances, Potapova picked up two first-round exits and one second-round appearance. It remains to be seen if this year Potapova can do a little better at Wimbledon.