Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin
modified to
07:24, March 29, 2023
This is news that could do good for French women’s tennis. Varvara Gracheva, player of Russian origin and ranked 54th in the world in the WTA ranking, has applied for naturalization in France. The one who has been training in Cannes since 2016 hopes to have a positive response before Roland-Garros next May.
22 years old, 54th in the world. Varvara Gracheva, a young tennis player of Russian origin, embodies the next generation of women’s tennis. And cocorico, she could soon be naturalized French. The native of Moscow applied for naturalization at the prefecture after having passed the French language test necessary for the application. Her file is now in the hands of the Ministry of the Interior, which should make a decision in the coming weeks, the objective of the young 22-year-old player being to be naturalized before Roland-Garros next May.
The tenniswoman has lived in France since 2016. Varvara Gracheva has been training at the Elite Center in Cannes for seven years now. This request thus has nothing to do with the invasion of Russia in Ukraine. The player of Russian nationality simply fell in love with France, a country she now wants to represent. In addition, the tennis player continues to evolve in the world rankings. 447th in the WTA rankings in 2018, she now points to 54th place currently.
New recruit in the France team?
If her application is accepted, Varvara Gracheva could become the French number 2 in the WTA rankings, behind Caroline Garcia, currently 4th in the world. Good news for tricolor tennis in search of a new lease of life. The 54th in the world represents real potential for the years to come. She recently distinguished herself by dominating the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, 5th player in the world, in the 32nd round of the WTA Tournament in Miami. Although she has yet to win a major title on the main circuit, the 22-year-old had reached the final of the WTA 250 tournament in Austin in early March.
For the captain of the French women’s team Julien Benneteau, this naturalization could be a real added value for tricolor tennis. Varvara Gracheva could thus represent France during the matches of the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly the Fed Cup), but also during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games which will take place next year from July 26 to August 11, 2024.