Home SPORTS Daria Kasatkina Embarks on New Chapter as Australian Player

Daria Kasatkina Embarks on New Chapter as Australian Player

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Tennis star Daria Kasatkina has made the switch from Russia to Australia, driven by concerns for her safety and well-being as an openly gay athlete, and is set to represent her new country in upcoming tournaments.



Russian-born tennis player Daria Kasatkina has expressed her excitement and emotions as she embarks on a new chapter in her career, representing Australia at the Charleston Open. Kasatkina, 27, was recently granted permanent residency in Australia, marking a significant milestone in her journey. “It's my first official day as an Australian player,” Kasatkina said, adopting Australian colloquialism as she referred to reporters in Charleston as “mates” on Monday.


Kasatkina has been competing as a neutral athlete on the Tour since Russian and Belarusian players were barred from representing their countries due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Belarus serving as a staging ground. This transition to representing Australia is a significant development in her career, and Kasatkina acknowledged the emotional aspect of this change. “Honestly, it feels different, I'm not going to lie. It's emotional for me. I have to get used to it.”


As Kasatkina begins this new chapter, she expressed her enthusiasm for representing Australia on the world stage. “But I'm really happy to start this new chapter of my life representing Australia on the big stage,” she said, looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that come with competing under the Australian flag.




Daria Kasatkina, born in the western Russian city of Tolyatti, has not returned to her homeland in over two years. This decision stems from her public stance against the war and her openness about her sexuality. Kasatkina, a prominent voice in the tennis world, has been vocal about her views, making it challenging for her to return to Russia. The country has taken a hardline stance against the LGBT movement, designating it as extremist and labeling its supporters as terrorists, paving the way for severe criminal cases against LGBT individuals and advocates.


Kasatkina, currently ranked 12th in the world, has chosen to switch her nationality to Australian, a decision she says was necessitated by the circumstances in her homeland. “With everything going on in my previous country, I didn't have much choice,” Kasatkina explained. As an openly gay individual, Kasatkina felt compelled to make this change to be true to herself. “For me, being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it.”


As Kasatkina prepares to represent Australia on the court for the first time, she is looking forward to getting accustomed to the introduction. Having received a first-round bye, Kasatkina will face either Lauren Davis or Jamie Loeb in the Charleston second round. When introduced as an Australian player for the first time, Kasatkina acknowledged that it may take some time to adjust. “I have to get used to it a little bit, because for a couple of years I didn't hear anything,” Kasatkina said. However, she expressed her enthusiasm for this new chapter, adding, “But it's something nice to get used to.”



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