Daria Kasatkina reacts after finding out Anastasia Potapova 'copied' her message to announce Russian nationality switch

Anastasia Potapova became the latest high-profile Russian tennis player to switch nationalities, joining Daria Kasatkina and Kamilla Rakhimova. Potapova announced on Thursday that she would represent Austria at the highest level going forward.

"I am delighted to let you all know that my application for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian Government," Potapova's message read.

"Austria is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Wien and look forward to making my second home there. As part of this I am proud to announce that starting from 2026 I will be representing my new homeland Austria in my professional tennis career from this point onwards."

Fans were quick to point out that the message was nearly identical to what Kasatkina wrote when announcing her switch, with only the Australia-specific parts replaced with Austria-related phrases. Kasatkina, who has been representing Australia since March, had also spoken about her love for the country and bid a final farewell to her Russian 'roots.'

"I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government. Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards," Kasatkina's message read.

When fans pointed out the similarities in the two messages and accused Potapova of 'copying' Kasatkina, the Australian shared an amused reaction.

"💀" Kasatkina wrote.

"And no, we are not from same agency😂" she added.

Kasatkina is the highest-profile player to switch nationalities in recent times, a practice that began after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Players from Russia and Belarus have had to play with various restrictions. For starters, they cannot represent their national flags, with tournaments leaving the space next to their name empty. They could not represent their country at the Olympics either and had to participate under neutral colors.

As a result, switching nationalities became increasingly frequent. Anastasia Potapova is now the Austrian No. 1 at World No. 50, followed by Julia Grabher at World No. 94.

Daria Kasatkina ended 2025 season mentally and physically drained

Daria Kasatkina ended the 2025 season at the China Open in October and sent a long message about her mentally and physically exhausting year, lamenting that she felt like she had 'hit a wall' and needed a break.

"This is me. 2025 has been my "I'm fine" year. I've been far from fine for a long time and truth be told, my results and performances show that, the fans aren't stupid, they can see it too. Truth is, I've hit a wall and I can't continue," Kasatkina said.

The Aussie also felt the WTA calendar was getting too much for her and other players on tour:

"I need a break. A break from the monotonous daily grind of life on the tour, the suitcases, the results, the pressure, the same faces (sorry girls), everything that comes with this life. The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly, I am not alone."

Kasatkina, ranked as high as World No. 8 once, is now at the No. 37 spot, and is likely to be unseeded at the 2026 Australian Open, which will be her first-ever home Grand Slam.

Edited by Shyam Kamal