Russian-born tennis player Anna Blinkova announced on Friday that she will now represent France in international competition. The 28-year-old, ranked No. 94 in the world, made the decision after spending several years living and training in the country. In an Instagram post, Blinkova described France as "much more than a training base" and expressed her pride in representing her adopted nation.

Born in Moscow, Blinkova previously competed for Russia, including participation in the Billie Jean King Cup. She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 34 and has claimed two WTA 250 titles on hard courts, winning in Cluj-Napoca in 2022 and Jiujiang in 2025. With her change of nationality, Blinkova becomes the second highest-ranked French female player, trailing Diane Parry, who holds the No. 30 spot globally.

At present, Blinkova is competing in the WTA 250 tournament in São Paulo, where she is scheduled to face Russian-born Armenian player Alina Charaeva in the quarterfinals. The switch marks a significant development in Blinkova’s career as she embarks on representing France at the international level.