Varvara Lepchenko is Pleased to Have US Passport

Written by: on 16th July 2012
Patricia Mayr-Achleitner
Varvara Lepchenko is Pleased to Have US Passport

epa03282563 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria returns to Varvara Lepchenko of US during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 26 June 2012. EPA/JONATHAN BRADY  |

Varvara Lepchenko, who grabbed a United States Olympic spot at the last minute with a fourth round appearance at Roland Garros, is thrilled to be traveling with a U.S. passport. Lepchenko, a native of Uzbekistan, has lived in the United States for 10 and half years, and was given her US citizenship in September, 2011.

Before then, she was limited in the places where she could play because she still held a Uzbek passport.

“It was quite difficult when I was stuck because of my documents,” the left hander told the North County Times. “I couldn’t get vital experience against top players in top tournaments, so I was behind many other players in that regard. It was very difficult to get visas to specific places, and I had to pick the most important tournaments without gaining the momentum and confidence from playing regularly. It was strange not having a full passport. I felt like I wasn’t a complete person, although I always felt like an American and identify myself as such. The passport made me truly equal to everyone else. It gave me more opportunities, and I went after them.”

Topics: , , , ,


  1. Varvara Lepchenko is Pleased to Have US Passport | stately.info says:
    July 17, 2012 at 7:33 am

    […]  Print This Post […]







10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.