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WTA Players who represented different countries during their career

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93K views 525 replies 143 participants last post by  Meelis  
#1 · (Edited)
Since we made a list of players concerning ethnical backgrounds, I thought it was fun to make a list of players who have represented more than one country in their careers, so please help and add to the list if you can :)

2 Countries

Ayla Aksu:
-United States
-Turkey

Nina Alibalic:
-Croatia (until September 2016)
-Australia (September 2016 - present)

Silvia Ambrosio:
-Germany (Until June 2023)
-Italy (June 2023 - present)

Violet Apisah:
-Australia (until August 2016)
-Papua New Guinea (August 2016 - present)

Patricia Apisah:
-Australia (until August 2016)
-Papua New Guinea (August 2016 - present)

Ksenia Bekker:
-Russia (Until November 2018)
-Germany (November 2018 - present)

Julie Belgraver:
-Netherlands (until March 2018)
-France (March 2018 - present)

Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov:
-Moldova
-Spain

Elysia Bolton:
-United States (until October 2022)
-Australia (October 2022 - present)

Josephine Boualem:
-Spain
-France

Carson Branstine:
-United States of America (until March 2017)
-Canada (March 2017 - present)

Cristina Bucsa:
-Moldova
-Spain

Diana Chehoudi:
-Netherlands (until November 2023)
-Tunisia (November 2023 - present)

Ilka Csoregi:
-Romania (until 2015)
-Hungary (2015-present)

Anna Danilina:
-Russia
-Kazakhstan

Liga Dekmeijere:
-Latvia (until November 2023)
-United States of America (November 2023 - present)

Anastasia Detiuc:
-Moldova (until February 2018)
-Czech Republic (February 2018 - present)

Hristina Dishkova:
-Bulgaria
-Germany

Jelena Dokic:
-Australia (1998-2000 2006-present)
-Serbia and Montenegro (2001-2005)

Vesna Dolonc: (Dolonts, née Manasieva)
-Russia (2006-2011)
-Serbia (2012-present)

Divina Dasam Nweke:
-Denmark (until April 2023)
-Nigeria (April 2023 - present)

Natela Dzalamidze:
-Russia (Until June 2022)
-Georgia (June 2022 - present)

Michelle Dzjachanigrova:
-Netherlands (Until October 2023)
-Azerbaijan (October 2023 - present)

Nadia Echeverria Alam:
-United States of America (until February 2016)
-Venezuela (February 2016 - present)

Vlada Ekshibarova:
-Uzbekistan (until June 2016)
-Israel (June 2016 - present)

Heidi El Tabakh:
-Egypt (2002-2005)
-Canada (2005-present)

Melisa Ercan:
-Turkey (until August 2023)
-Australia (August 2023 - present)

Hulya Esen: (Huliya Velieva)
-Bulgaria
-Turkey

Lutifye Esen: (Born Lutyfiya Velieva)
-Bulgaria
-Turkey

Arabela Fernandez Rabener:
-Spain (Until April 2018)
-Germany (April 2018 - present)

Csilla Fodor:
-Hungary (until March 2018)
-Vietnam (March 2018 - present)

Alena Fomina:
-Ukraine (Until October 2017)
-Russia (October 2017 - present)

Daria Frayman:
-Russia (Until 2023)
Cyprus (2023 - present)

Jarmila Wolfe: (née Gajdosova, formerly Groth)
-Slovakia (2005–2009)
-Australia (2009–present)

Edina Gallovits-Hall:
-Romania (Until April 2015)
-United States of America (April 2015-present)

Alexa Guarachi:
-United States of America (until June 2015)
-Chile (June 2015-present)

Daria Gavrilova:
-Russia (until US Open 2014)
-Australia (US Open 2014-present)

Varvara Gracheva:
-Russia (until June 2023)
-France (June 2023 - present)

Liezel Huber:
-South Africa (until 2007)
-United States of America (2007-present)

Melissa Ifidzhen:
-Russia (until November 2016)
-Nigeria (November 2016 - present)

-Senay Ince:
-Australia (Until March 2017)
-Turkey (March 2017 - present)

Valentyna Ivakhnenko:
-Ukraine (Until August 2014)
-Russia (August 2014 - present)

Akilah James:
-Grenada (until November 2016)
-USA (November 2016 - present)

Katarina Jokic:
-Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Serbia

Sacha Jones:
-New Zealand (until 2012)
-Australia (2012 - present)

Andrea Ka:
-France
-Cambodia

Sesil Karatantcheva:
-Bulgaria (2003-2009, 2015-present)
-Kazakhstan (2009-2014)

Adithya Karunaratne:
-Sri Lanka (Until May 2018)
-Hong Kong (May 2018 - present)

Anais Kikuchi: (formerly: Defossez)
-Belgium (until January 2019)
-Japan (January 2019 - present)

Ekaterina Klyueva:
-Russia
-Kazakhstan

Jovana Knezevic:
-Cyprus (until Feb 2016)
-Great Britain (Feb 2016-present)

Johanna Konta:
-Australia (2008-2012)
-United Kingdom (2012-present)

Anastasia Kulikova:
-Russia (Until August 2018)
-Finland (August 2018 - present)

Katharina Lehnert:
-Germany (until 2012)
-Philippines (2013-present)

Adrijana Lekaj:
-Croatia (Until June 2017)
-Kosovo (June 2017 - present)

Sebastiani Leon:
-Mexico (Until June 2018)
-United States of America (June 2018 - present)

Varvara Lepchenko:
-Uzbekistan (2001-2007)
-United States of America (2007-present)

Baijing Lin:
-People's Republic of China
-Australia

Rebeka Masarova:
-Switzerland (Until January 2018)
-Spain (January 2018 - present)

Mila Méjic:
-Serbia (Until March 2018)
-Hungary (March 2018 - present)

Yuriko Lily Miyazaki:
-Japan (Until March 2022)
-United Kingdom (March 2022 - present)

Julia Moriarty:
-Ireland (2010-July 2012)
-Australia (2005-2010, July 2012-present)

Kimberly Alinafe Mpukusa:
-Zimbabwe (Until August 2018)
-Great Britain (August 2018 - present)

Ingrid Neel:
-United States of America (until April 2023)
-Estonia (April 2023 - present)

Anastasia Evgenyevna Nefedova:
-Russia (until November 2016)
-USA (until November 2016 - present)

Romina Oprandi:
-Italy (2005-2012)
-Switzerland (2012-present)

Bernarda Pera:
-Croatia (Until 2012)
-United States of America (2012-present)

Ksenia Pervak:
-Russia (2005-2011, 2013-present)
-Kazakhstan (2011-2013)

Olga Puchkova: (Poutchkova)
-Belarus (until 2002, junior)
-Russia (2002-present)

Yulia Putintseva:
-Russia (2009-2012)
-Kazakhstan (2012-present)

Kaitlin Quevedo:
-United States of America (December 2023 - present)
-Spain (December 2023 - present)

Lara Rafful:
-Brazil
-Italy

Aravane Rezai:
-Iran (2001-2005)
-France (2005-present)

Anastasia Rodionova:
-Russia (1997-2009)
-Australia (2009-present)

Arina Rodionova:
-Russia (2004-2014)
-Australia (2014-present)

Erin Routliffe:
-Canada (Until July 2017)
-New Zealand (July 2017 - present)

Elena Rybakina:
-Russia (Until June 2018)
-Kazakhstan (June 2018 - present)

Lisa Sabino:
-Italy
-Switzerland

Ludmila Samsonova:
-Russia (until 2015, June 2018 - present)
-Italy (2015 - June 2018)

Dominique Schaefer:
-USA (until 2015)
-Peru (2015-present)

Raluca Georgiana Serban:
-Romania (Until November 2018)
-Cyprus (November 2018 - present)

Maria Shishkina:
-Kazakhstan
-United States of America

Anastasia Shoshyna:
-Ukraine (Until August 2020)
-Poland (August 2020 - present)

Yaroslava Shvedova:
-Russia (2002-2008)
-Kazakhstan (2008-present)

Natalia Siedliska:
-Poland (until March 2015)
-Germany (March 2015-present)

Daniella Silva:
-Canada (until March 2018)
-Portugal (March 2018 - present)

Arina Solomatina:
-Russia (Until October 2022)
-Kyrgyzstan (October 2022 - present)

Lulu Sun (formerly: Radovcic)
-Switzerland (until June 2018, July 2018 - prsent)
-New Zealand (June 2018 - July 2018)

Anna Tatishvili:
-Georgia (2005-2014)
-United States of America (2014-present)

Jasmina Tinjic:
-Croatia
-Bosnia & Herzegovina

Ajla Tomljanovic:
-Croatia (2005-August 2014)
-Australia (August 2014 (US Open) - present)

Ana Veselinovic:
-Serbia (Until April 2013)
-Montengro (April 2013 - present)

Galina Voskoboeva:
-Russia (See below)
-Kazakhstan (When did she start representing Kazakhstan?)

Isabelle Wallace:
-Great Britain (2012-November 2015)
-Australia (until 2012, November 2015-present)

Katherine Westbury:
-New Zealand -> Thailand -> New Zealand

Tiana Windbuchler:
-New Zealand (Until January 2017)
-Australia (January 2017 - present)

Maryna Zanevska:
-Ukraine (Until October 2016)
-Belgium (October 2016 - present)

Anastasia Zarycka:
-Ukraine (Until April 2017)
-Czech Republic (April 2017 - present)

Sonja Zhiyenbayeva:
-Germany (until December 2023)
-Kazakhstan (December 2023 - present)

Michele Alexandra Zmau:
-Romania
-Italy

3 Countries

Chieh-Yu Hsu:
-People's Republic of China (Mar 2005 - 2007)
-United States of America (2008-2014)
-Chinese Taipei (2014-present)

Former Players:

Greta Arn:
-Germany (1997-2008)
-Hungary (2008-present)

Martina Navratilova:
-Czechoslovakia (1956-1975)
-United States of America (1975-present)
-Czech Republic (2008-present)

Monica Seles:
-Yugoslavia (1988-1994)
-United States (1994-present)

Tetiana Luzhanska:
-Ukraine (2005-2011)
-United States of America (2012-present)

Evgeniya Linetskaya:
-Russia
-Israel

Emmuanelle Gagliardi:
-Monaco
-Switzerland

Sacha Jones:
-New Zealand (2005-2012)
-Australia (2012-2014)

Nana Smith: (born: Nana Miyagi)
-United States of America
-Japan

Anna Smashnova:
-Russia
-Israel

Julia Vakulenko:
-Ukraine (until 2008)
-Spain (2008-present)

Patricia Hy-Boulais:
-Hong Kong (until 1987)
-Canada (1988-present)

Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian: Armenia, Switzerland
Karin Kschwendt : Luxembourg, Austria, Germany
Pavlina Stojanova-Nola : Bulgaria, New Zealand
Elena Pampoulova-Wagner : Bulgaria, Germany
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere : Bulgaria, Swizerland
Csilla Cserepy-Bartos : Hungary, Switzerland
Iryna Kuryanovitch-Brémond : Belarus (until 2011), France (2011-present)
Hu Na : China, USA
Hana Mandlikova : Czechoslovakia, Australia
Marie Neumannová-Pinterová : Hungary, Czechoslovakia
Gail Sheriff-Chanfreau-Lovera-Bennedetti : Australia, France

List of players who were born in a country they never represented:

Usue Maitane Arconada, USA
Born in: Argentina

Paula Badosa Gibert, Spain
Born in: New York, United States

Naiktha Bains, Australia
Born in: Leeds, UK

Emina Bektas, USA
Born in: Germany

Kimberley Birrell, Australia
Born in: Dusseldorf, Germany

Bojana Bobusic, Australia
Born in: Belgrade, Serbia

Gail Brodsky, USA
Born in Zoporozhye, Ukraine

Jelena Dokic, Australia (formerly, Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro)
Born in: Osijek, Croatia

Marina Erakovic, New Zealand
Born in Split, Croatia

Irina Falconi, United States
Born in: Puertoviejo, Ecuador

Fiona Ferro, France
Born in Libramont, Belgium

Natasha Fourouclas, South Africa
Born in: Limassol, Cyprus

Julia Glushko, Israel
Born in: Artemivsk, Ukraine

Anastasia Grymalska, Italy
Born in: Kiev, Ukraine

Jamie Hampton, United States
Born in: Frankfurt, Germany

Tamaryn Hendler, Belgium
Born in: Cape Town, South Africa

Martina Hingis, Switzerland
Born in: Kosice, Slovakia

Patricia Hy-Boulais, Canada & Hong Kong
Born in: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Mathilde Johansson, France
Born in: Gothenburg, Sweden

Victoria Kan, Russia
Born in: Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Sofia Kenin, United States
Born in: Moscow, Russia

Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia
Born in: Moscow, Russia

Liza Lebedzeva, Netherlands
Born in: Minsk, Belarus

Nicole Melichar, United States
Born in: Brno, Czech Republic

Tara Moore, United Kingdom
Born in: Hong Kong, China

Garbine Muguruza, Spain
Born in: Caracas, Venezuela

Giuliana Olmos (MEX)
Born in: Schwarzach, Austria

Andrea Petkovic, Germany
Born in: Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Urszula Radwanska, Poland
Born in: Ahaus, Germany

Laura Robson, United Kingdom
Born in: Melbourne, Australia

Amra Sadikovic, Switzerland
Born in: Prilep, Macedonia

Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand
Born: Los Angeles, USA

Jill Belen Teichmann, Switzerland
Born in: Barcelona, Spain

Olivia Tjandramulia, Australia
Born in: Jakarta, Indonesia

Nicole Vaidisova, Czech Republic
Born in: Nuremberg, Germany

Elena Vesnina, Russia
Born in: Lviv, Ukraine

Christina Wheeler, Australia
Born in: Korosten, Ukraine

Ksenia Ulukan, Kyrgyzstan
Born in Khabarovsky Kray, Russia

Ling Zhang, Hong Kong
Born in: Hunan, China
 
A
#2 ·
Jarmila Gajdošová
-Slovakia (2005–2009)
-Australia (2009–present)
 
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#5 ·
former players

Karin Kschwendt : Luxembourg, Austria, Germany
Pavlina Stojanova-Nola : Bulgaria, New Zealand
Elena Pampoulova-Wagner : Bulgaria, Germany
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere : Bulgaria, Swizerland
Csilla Cserepy-Bartos : Hungary, Switzerland
Iryna Kuryanovitch-Brémond : Belarus, France
Hu Na : China, USA
Hana Mandlikova : Czechoslovakia, Australia
Marie Neumannová-Pinterová : Hungary, Czechoslovakia
Gail Sheriff-Chanfreau-Lovera-Bennedetti : Australia, France
Jelena Dokic : Australia, Serbia and Montenegro, Australia




Current :

Vesna Manasieva-Dolonc : Russia, Serbia
Katharina Lehnert : Germany, Philippines
 
D
#6 · (Edited)
Vesna Dolonc (Russia)
Jelena Dokic (Serbia)
Julia Moriarty (Ireland)
Bernarda Pera (Croatia)
Katharina Lehnert (Germany)
Katherine Westbury (New Zealand)
Sacha Jones (New Zealand)
Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (Moldova)
Katarina Jokic (Bosnia/Herzegovina)
Jasmina Tinjic (Croatia)
Lutfiye & Hulya Esen (Bulgaria)
Nana Miyagi(Smith) (Japan)
Anna Danilina (Russia)

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App
 
#381 ·
Raiden said:
:spit:

Wut?
Click to expand...
Still no reply to this post of mine on page 1 of this thread?

I don't think listing Navratilova as "Czech" is accurate.

Meaning I don't believe Navra has registered herself as a Czech player with any sporting org. Or has she? Please help me @Petronius . AFAIK she is still American only (athlete ID-wise). Personal citizenship shouldn't count as practically all of the players mentioned in this thread are dual citizens (regardless of the one flag next to their name in sports).
 
#11 ·
MarkNL said:
3 Countries

Chieh-Yu Hsu:
-People's Republic of China (until 2007)
-United States of America (2008-2014)
-Chinese Taipei (2014-present)
Click to expand...
Under the ITF statistics of Vivian Peng, one finds the first data showing Hsu as HSU, Chieh-Yu (CHN).

So, Chieh-Yu Hsu:
-People's Republic of China (Mar 2005 - 2007)

We cannot trace such data in the WTA statistics which do not retain the old data of country.

Listed as Chieh-Yu Hsu (TPE) ... (23-May-2006) at http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/13131/title/asia-muhammad
 
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#12 ·
smashnova was under 14 champion of USSR, than Israel #1
 
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#19 ·
I remember reading about Kimberly Po-Messerli switching to Swiss for a week after 9/11.

Going with older school Cambodian born Patricia Hy-Boulais represented Hong Kong until 1991, and then switched to Canadian for 1992 and onward I believe.
 
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L
#21 ·
MarkNL said:
3 Countries

Chieh-Yu Hsu:
-People's Republic of China (Mar 2005 - 2007)
-United States of America (2008-2014)
-Chinese Taipei (2014-present)
Click to expand...
From USTA's Pro Circuit data,
USA(04/28-Indian Harbour Beach, FL) -> TPE(05/05-Raleigh, NC)
So might be:
-United States of America (2008 - Apr 2014)
-Chinese Taipei (May 2014 - present)

According to Taiwan's news report, Connie was born in Taiwan and moved to US at 9.
Although official data (such as Cincinnati'07) recorded that, still wondering why she represented CHN :confused:
 
#29 ·
Added New Aussie minion Daria Gavrilova :lol:

Valentyna Ivakhnenko is listed as Russian for next weeks 25k Moscow, while she used to represent Ukraine. :unsure: Anyone who knows about this?

Also noticed Westbury switched back to New Zealand, thanks anyway Kev :yeah:

Why does no one switch to NL :oh: :lol: Demi Schuurs actually considered switching from Netherlands to Belgium a few years back, but she changed her mind after being invited for the Fed Cup :)
 
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