Abu Dhabi Open apologises to Russia's Daria Kasatkina after Spanish flag error

The Abu Dhabi Open has issued a public apology for incorrectly listing Russian player Daria Kasatkina as Spanish during the draw ceremony on Sunday. This administrative error sparked speculation that she might have changed her nationality.

Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from competing under their national flags, and Kasatkina has been participating in tournaments as a neutral athlete. Belarus was used as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.

During the WTA 500 event draw, the 27-year-old's name appeared with the Spanish flag beside it, drawing attention. Subsequently, Kasatkina's team denied that she had changed her nationality, and the event organizers apologized for the mistake.

The event organizers stated in a social media statement: "We sincerely apologize for the error made by one of our suppliers during the live draw, which resulted in Daria Kasatkina’s name being displayed with an incorrect nationality. This was purely an administrative error and has now been rectified."

Kasatkina, who publicly came out and became one of the few Russian players to openly oppose the war, has not returned to Russia for more than two years. She currently resides in Dubai but also trains in Spain. "The suggestion that she has switched to Spanish nationality is incorrect, and we can categorically deny it," Kasatkina's team told the BBC. "It would have serious consequences for Daria if the Russian authorities thought she was trying to change nationality, and she is not."