French Tennis Player Elliot Benchetrit to Represent Morocco Starting January

In a message posted on his Instagram account, Elliot Benchetrit explains his choice: "Playing for Morocco, the country of birth of my father, will be an honor! Representing this country in the Davis Cup and the Olympics will be just as much," revealing a "big change" in his "tennis history" starting January 1.

The tennis player is keen to warmly thank France, for which he had competed until now. "I thank France for all its help and support in my development, but to go for the ’step’ above, something needs to change," he writes before concluding with a "Long live Morocco".

Elliot Benchetrit is currently ranked 220th in the ATP rankings. At the age of 22, he has accumulated earnings of more than $470,000 across all competitions.