Organisers of a WTA Tour draw have been forced to backtrack and apologise over a "potentially harmful" error that left a Russian star exposed to claims she was defecting.
During the draw ceremony for the Abu Dhabi Open, world No.11 Daria Kasatkina's name was displayed with a Spanish abbreviation alongside it.
Kasatkina is Russian and so plays professional tennis under a neutral flag, as have all Russian and Belarusian players since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The sight of the letters ESP, universally understood to signify a representative of Spain, next to her name sparked speculation Kasatkina had officially defected to represent the western European nation on tour.
Her representatives moved to quickly deny that was the case, while pointing out the "potentially quite harmful" impacts of the error.
"It is incorrect and we can categorically deny she is switching to Spain," they told BBC Sport.
Daria Kasatkina. AP
"This carries some strong implications for Daria if the Russian authorities feel she is trying to switch – which she is not."
The draw organisers apologised.
"This was an entirely administrative mistake and has now been corrected," they said.
Kasatkina is one of the few Russian athletes who have publicly spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine.
Many athletes stay silent on the issue due to potential ramifications in their homeland.
Kasatkina is also one of the few openly gay players on the WTA Tour.
Russia's Supreme Court in 2023 ruled the "international LGBT movement" was an "extremist organisation".
During a video interview in 2022, Kasatkina came out as gay and, at the same time, called for Russia to end its war on Ukraine.
Last year she told ESPN in a separate interview she expected "consequences" for her choices.
One Russian politician attempted to have Kasatkina officially recognised as a foreign agent.
Kasatkina has reportedly not visited Russia in two and a half years, and now lives between Dubai and Spain.
