In the run-up to his participation in the Australian Open, Daria Kasatkina (8th in the world) went on to explain how much revealing her homosexuality helped her and made it clear that the circuit supported her in a very good way. In addition, she spoke about how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is lived in the corridors of the big tournaments and in his family.
“It was great because I didn’t face any negativity, especially from people I know. I’m very grateful because that makes me feel so good. Some of the players still come to me, to say ‘yeah, that’s great’ or ‘congratulations’. That’s good”, explained the Russian, who is in a relationship with the skater Natalia Zabiiako, in an interview The Guardian.
Also, Kasatkina She emphasizes that having told it was a great relief and that helped her in her performance on the circuit: “I take this pressure off my shoulders because when you have to think about tennis but also think about some things deep inside your head, it’s just not good.” In 2022, the right-hander had one of her best years with the Roland Garros semifinal as one of her most outstanding results.
Like all Russians, the 25-year-old has been playing under a neutral flag since the world’s largest country began its conflict with Ukraine, which has now been going on for more than a year. This has hurt her family relationships because of the dispute: “It’s hard that I can’t see the people I love often. In fact, I can hardly ever see them. I haven’t seen my father in two years. But it is what it is. It’s life, unfortunately. I have to say thank you that it’s not a worse scenario. I’m happy they’re healthy and I have them.”
In the same line, Kasatkina hill: “I have so many friends from Ukraine and I listen to the stories, what they are telling me. It’s painful. I want this to end as soon as possible, but unfortunately it’s not up to us. I want to show them love and support because it’s more difficult for them.”
