Anastasia Potapova upset defending champion Coco Gauff at the French Open on Saturday, rallying from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4. The 25-year-old, who now represents Austria after obtaining citizenship in December, says the switch has given her a newfound sense of freedom and confidence.
"I do feel free, I feel better, I feel the support from Austrian people," Potapova said. "For sure it's given me extra boost of energy to fight for those wins."
Potapova is one of several Russian-born players to change allegiance since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This season, she has become one of the tour's most consistent performers on clay. Last month, she became the first lucky loser to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event in Madrid, taking down former world number one Karolina Pliskova, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, and world number two Elena Rybakina.
Potapova attributes her recent success to a combination of experience, maturity, and changes within her team. "We switched a lot of things with my team. I switched my team... and then we started to work on the new things. I think it's just giving a positivity now."