Daria Kasatkina admitted the week had been stressful and a bit out of the ordinary but was happy to begin her journey as an Australian player with a win at the Charlestown Open.
Kasatkina announced this week she will be competing for Australia from now on after playing on the tour as a neutral athlete following Russian and Belarusian players being banned from competing under their own flags.
The crowd gave the Russian-born star a warm welcome and organisers did their bit as well, with Men at Work classic Down Under playing at the conclusion of her 6-1, 6-1 hammering of American local hope Lauren Davis.
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Kasatkina shared how she felt hearing the announcers introduce her as an Australian for the first time as she walked on court.
“Well, it happened twice. The walk in on court and on the warm up, I couldn’t handle my smile,” she said.
“A new stage for me. So going on court today as an Aussie, this time was stressful, honestly.
“So it’s really special moment for me to win a first match as an Australian player. I’m just really happy, and couldn’t believe one day something like that would happen to me.”
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Kasatkina said in 2023 that she had fled Russia because she did not feel safe “as a gay person who opposes the war.”
Three years ago, Kasatkina went public with her relationship with Russian Olympic figure skater Natalia Zabiiako and in the last two years has been living in Spain and Dubai.
During that time, she has also been a vocal critic of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Daria Kasatkina of Australia celebrates her win against Lauren Davis. Getty
Asked about what had made her feel so stressed, Kasatkina broke into a laugh post-match when she told Tennis Channel: “Guess, mate!
“This week was a bit stressful, with all the changes and all the feedback. When the tennis player steps on court, all the stress she’s living through explodes.
“That’s how it works. And I’m really happy how I handled that situation today, because it was not easy, honestly.”
The 27-year-old Kasatkina was a French Open semi-finalist in 2022 and is currently ranked 12th.
The eight-time WTA singles champion’s best career ranking was eighth.
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