Maria Timofeeva switches nationality to represent Uzbekistan

Russian tennis player Maria Timofeeva, 21, has officially changed her sporting nationality and will now represent Uzbekistan in international competitions.

“Yes, Maria Timofeeva has officially changed her nationality and is now competing under Uzbekistan’s flag. Her entire family – her mother and father – have been living in Tashkent for over six months. She personally came to the federation and obtained both her foreign passport and ID card,” said Irina Tulyaganova, Vice President of the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation.

Maria currently holds the 146th position in the WTA world rankings, with her career-high being 93rd. A day before the citizenship change was announced, on 19 October, she won the ITF W75 tournament held in Portugal.

Timofeeva automatically became Uzbekistan’s top female tennis player. Previously, the country’s highest-ranked player was 36-year-old Vlada Ekshibarova, who occupied the 1012th spot in the WTA rankings.

Maria Timofeeva is originally from Moscow and trains in Koper, Slovenia, under coach Anež Morel. In 2023, she claimed her first WTA Tour title by defeating Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl in the final of the Budapest tournament. Shortly afterward, she took a three-month break due to injury. In 2024, she made her debut at the Australian Open, advancing from the qualifiers to reach the fourth round. Over the course of her career, she has earned nearly $800,000 in prize money.