Russian tennis player Natela Dzalamidze changed her nationality to Georgian to avoid the ban that Wimbledon imposed on all Russian players after Ukraine's invasion of the country.

The double specialist, ranked No. 43 in the world, is now officially listed with Georgian nationality on the WTA website and is eligible to compete with doubles partner Alexandra Krunic from Serbia when Wimbledon begins on June 27.

After Wimbledon announced an entry ban in April for all athletes in Russia and Belarus, the ATP and WTA responded by removing all points in the leader board that the player could earn for his performance in the All-English Club.

Some of the biggest tennis stars, including Men's World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Women's World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka will not attend SW19.

In a statement published in The Times, a Wimbledon spokesman said they could not prevent Dzalamidz, who is competing under the neutral banner at the French Open, from changing his nationality.

"Player nationality, defined as the flag they play under at professional events, is an agreed process that is governed by the Tours and the ITF," the spokesperson said.

The ban on Russian and Belarusian players divides the tennis world, and the US announced last week. It will not follow the example of Wimbledon later this year, where players from both countries would qualify.