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Moroccan-French international tennis player Elliot Benchetrit has decided to change his sporting nationality, choosing to play for the kingdom of Morocco. The 22-year-old tennis player announced his decision in an Instagram post on Friday, December 25.
Benchetrit says his choice to represent Morocco will be effective starting on January 1. Should he qualify for the upcoming Davis Cup and Olympic Games, the athlete will be wearing Moroccan colors.
“Playing for Morocco, my father’s country of birth, will be an honor!” the young tennis player said on his Instagram page.
“I remain French, but on a tennis court I will play under the colors of Morocco”
In his announcement, Benchetrit also expressed his gratitude to France for all the help the country provided in his formative years. He explained, however, that he needed to change some things to take his career to the next step — and in the direction he wishes.
The tennis player concluded his message with a quote from Albert Einstein that says “Insanity is always doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
Currently living in Morocco, Benchetrit was born in 1998 in Nice, France. He started his professional career in 2016, at the tender age of 17.
He won his first International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles tournament in 2017 in Tunisia and went on to claim, with French player Maxime Hamou as his partner, another ITF doubles tournament the following year in Morocco.
In 2019, Benchertit won his first-round matches in both doubles and singles at the 2019 French Open’s grand slam-tier tennis tournament. His wins also include three singles titles on the ITF Men’s Circuit, two doubles titles, and another doubles title on the ATP Challenge Tour.
Read also: ATP Suspends Moroccan Tennis Tournament Grand Prix Hassan II
The Moroccan-French tennis player’s highest singles ranking was No. 198 on 10 February 2020, while his highest doubles ranking was No.198 on 10 June 2019. Benchetrit’s current ranking is 2023.
