Former Russian Varvara Gracheva has been French since June 5, 2023 and has had a remarkable Roland-Garros.
The ex-Russian has decided to represent the tricolor flag since June 2023. She has lived in France for more than five years and was constantly in contact with French culture. His coaches are. It was almost obvious to change countries for her. For the record, Varvara Gracheva arrived in France when she was a teenager at 14 years old. She then left her hometown of Zhukovsky to join the Côte d’Azur. There, far from Russia, she decided to train in 2016 at Jean-René Lisnard’s Élite Tennis Center. A strong choice which would lead her a year later to become a professional player. After five years of residence in France, she decided to apply for naturalization in March 2023, which would be accepted a month later. In June 2023, she will participate in her first WTA tournament as a Frenchwoman in Bad Homburg.
Now, she is truly adopted by the French public, even if she doubted it at the time. “The public is incredible. Everyone supports me, it’s really special. It’s my first Roland-Garros as a Frenchwoman and I’m really proud to be in this atmosphere” she explained after her eighth of finale punctuated by a Marseillaise.
Varvara Gracheva is coached by a brand new coach, Sliman Taghzouit. She was also coached by former French professional tennis player Xavier Pujo.
French since June 5, 2023, Varvara Gracheva competed with the blue-white-red label for the first time in Germany at the Bad Hombourg tournament (turf).