DARIA SEGEYEVNA KASATKINA, born on this date, is a Russian professional tennis player. She made her top-ten debut in the WTA rankings towards the end of the 2018 season and has been ranked as high as world No. 8, achieved in October 2022. Kasatkina has won six singles titles and one title in doubles on the WTA Tour.
Born to athletic parents who were nationally ranked in athletics and ice hockey, Kasatkina began playing tennis at age six at the insistence of her older brother. She excelled as a junior, winning the European 16s championship and one junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2014 French Open. Kasatkina quickly ascended up the professional rankings, reaching No. 32 in the world while still 18 years old and winning her first WTA title in 2017 as a teenager at the Charleston Open. She rose to prominence in 2018 by finishing runner-up to fellow up-and-coming player Naomi Osaka at the Premier Mandatory Indian Wells Open in a match regarded as representing a new wave of women’s tennis. Kasatkina also has won the biggest titles of her career at the Kremlin Cup and at the St. Petersburg Trophy at home in Russia. Following three successful seasons on the WTA Tour, Kasatkina struggled in 2019, falling into the bottom half of the top 100. However, she had a resurgent 2021, claiming two titles to return to the top 30, followed by another two titles in 2022, marking her to return to the top 10.
In team competition, Kasatkina led the Russian team to victory at the 2020–21 Billie Jean King Cup, winning all her matches in the tournament. Alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Liudmila Samsonova, Veronika Kudermetova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova, she helped secure Russia’s first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2008.
Kasatkina is known for her crafty style of play and diverse shotmaking. Compared to hard-hitting players who rely on their physicality and pure power, she relies on her speed and quick thinking to outfox her opponents.
In an interview with Sofya Tartakova in 2021, Kasatkina made comments that were presumed to be discussing her bisexuality. In 2022, she clarified these comments, coming out as lesbian, and stating in an interview that she is in a relationship with figure skater Natalia Zabiiako. It became public after Kasatkina and Zabiiako posted photos of each other together on Instagram. Zabiiako and Kasatkina also started a YouTube vlog about life on the tennis tour.
Kasatkina said that she “found living in the closet impossible” and also speaking out against the attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and restrictions of rights within Russia. In that same interview, Kasatkina condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to Russian aggression and showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people. As a result of her sexuality, Kasatkina is unsure of what will happen to her if she ever chooses to return to Russia to see her friends and family, but the professional tennis player added that she doesn’t regret her decision. In June 2023, she expressed her understanding for Ukrainian players who refused to shake her hand after matches, saying “It’s a very sad situation and I understand.”