World No. 12 Daria Kasatkina is set to play for Australia in future tennis competitions. This comes after she was granted permanent residency in the country.
The 27-year-old tennis player announced her decision on Friday via Instagram. She plans to live in Melbourne and compete under the Australian flag going forward.
Kasatkina stated on Instagram that she loves Australia, feels incredibly welcome there, and considers it her home. She is proud to represent Australia in her professional tennis career from now on.
Previously, she had been competing under a neutral flag since 2022. This was due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from representing their countries following the conflict in Ukraine.
Kasatkina`s achievements include reaching the French Open semifinals in 2022 and winning eight WTA singles titles. Her highest ranking achieved so far is No. 8 in the world.
Tennis Australia confirmed on Saturday the approval of Kasatkina`s residency.
The federation welcomed her to the Australian tennis family in response to her announcement. The Australian Open`s official Instagram account also extended a warm welcome to “Dasha Down Under”.
This season, Kasatkina has a 9–8 win-loss record. Her best performance this year was reaching the Round of 16 at the Australian Open after winning her first three matches.
