Daria Kasatkina, a former champion at the Charleston Open, began her 2025 tournament by easily defeating Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1. This match marked not only the start of her tournament but also the beginning of a new chapter in her career as she now plays for Australia.
Kasatkina had been competing as a neutral athlete since 2022 due to restrictions placed on Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine. Recently, she announced that she has obtained permanent residency in Australia and will now represent the country.
Leading up to the Charleston tournament, where she first won a WTA title in 2017, Kasatkina, who is seeded No. 5, explained that her sexual orientation played a significant role in her decision to switch allegiances. In 2023, the Russian government labeled the `international LGBT movement` as `extremist`.
Kasatkina mentioned in an interview that given the situation in her home country and her desire to live openly as a gay woman, changing her sporting nationality was a necessary step.
Ranked No. 12 in the world, Kasatkina showed great form in her debut match as Australia`s top player. She is currently ranked sixty places above Australia`s second-highest player, Kimberly Birrell. Kasatkina quickly defeated Davis in just 61 minutes and appeared relaxed and happy during her post-match interview.
She admitted to feeling nervous before the match due to her new status and flag, but was happy to have managed her emotions once on the court.
Kasatkina`s smile widened as she received applause from the crowd and thanked them for their support.
She concluded by saying that recent years have been challenging, and she is very grateful to be in her current position and feel supported.
