STARNBERG, December 15, 2017

Aljaz Bedene announced that he is switching his nationality back to Slovenia. The 28-year-old became a British citizen in 2015 but has been unable to overturn a ban preventing him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup as he had previously played three dead rubbers for Slovenia.

The World No. 49, who was born in Ljubljana and lives in the UK, represented Slovenia when he turned pro in 2008. On 31 March 2015, Bedene was granted UK citizenship and represented Great Britain.

On Friday Bedene shared the following statement via social media:

“Hi everyone,

I want to share with you that I have informed the ITF of my intention to represent Slovenia, my country of birth, from the 1st January 2018. One of my main goals for my career going forward will be to play for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. I have proudly called Britain my home for the last 9 years and so many people there have made me feel welcome both in the UK and abroad. I am also particularly grateful for the support the LTA have shown me in that time and in fighting my case for the GB Davis Cup eligibility. It was a dream of mine to be able to compete for a country that has given me so much in the Davis Cup. At this stage in my career, I do not want to miss the opportunity to compete in the Davis Cup and the Olympics, two events that mean so much to me and that is what has informed my decision.