Darja Kassatkina: Russian tennis star comes out and heavily criticizes Russia

Darja Kassatkina, currently the best tennis player in Russia, has made her homosexuality public. In a video interview with blogger Vitya Kravchenko published on Monday, the world number twelve also criticized that there were a number of “forbidden topics” in Russia.

“For young people who are confronted with problems in public, it is very important if athletes or other well-known personalities talk about it,” said Kassatkina. She has a life partner, she confirmed when asked. On Instagram she posted a photo together on Monday evening.

In this context, Kassatkina also praised the Russian footballer Nadezhda Karpova, who was the first Russian athlete to come out as homosexual at the beginning of June. Kassatkina criticized that there are a lot of topics in Russia that shouldn’t be talked about. Homosexuality is not even the most important thing. There was a movement towards more openness at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but that process has stopped. “The road has been blocked. Road works,” Kassatkina said wryly.

Kassatkina has won four WTA tournaments in her career so far. In June, the 25-year-old played her way to the semi-finals at the French Open. The former world number ten missed the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon because of her citizenship. All professionals from Russia had been excluded from the grass event due to the Ukraine conflict.