1. Early Life and Background
Daria Kasatkina was born on May 7, 1997, in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast, Russia, to Tatyana Borisovna (née Timkovskaya) and Sergey Igorevich Kasatkin. Tolyatti is an industrial city located approximately 0.6 K mile (1.00 K km) southeast of Moscow. Both of her parents were accomplished athletes, holding national ranks in Russia (recognized as Candidates for Master of Sports); her mother excelled in athletics, and her father in ice hockey.
1.1. Childhood and Family
Kasatkina's family environment fostered a strong connection to sports. Her father worked as an engineer at the Volga Automotive Plant, and her mother was a lawyer. Daria also has an older brother named Alexandr. It was Alexandr who introduced Daria to tennis, having played the sport casually himself. At his insistence, Daria began playing tennis at the age of six. Initially, she played two to three times a week for a period of two years, gradually progressing to competing in higher-level tournaments as her skills developed.
1.2. Introduction to Tennis
Daria's introduction to tennis came directly from her older brother, Alexandr, who played the sport recreationally. When Daria was six years old, Alexandr encouraged their parents to enroll her in tennis lessons. This initial foray into tennis involved training sessions two to three times per week. Over time, as she honed her skills and displayed a natural aptitude for the sport, she began participating in more competitive and higher-level tournaments, marking the true beginning of her journey as a tennis player.
2. Junior Career
Daria Kasatkina had a distinguished junior career, reaching a career-high world No. 3 ranking. She embarked on the ITF Junior Circuit shortly after turning 14, securing her first title at only her second event, the low-level Grade 4 Samara Cup. In early 2012, at just 14 years old, she won two higher-level Grade 2 tournaments in Moldova and France, with the Moldovan event being her first entry into a Grade 2 competition. Towards the end of 2012, Kasatkina played a crucial role in helping Russia reach the final of the Junior Fed Cup alongside Elizaveta Kulichkova and Alina Silich, where they ultimately finished as runners-up to the United States.
In 2013, Kasatkina's performance at the highest level of junior tournaments began to shine. She reached her first Grade-1 final in doubles in January, followed by her first Grade-1 singles final in April. After early exits at her only two Grade A events the previous year, she notably finished as runner-up to Belinda Bencic at the Trofeo Bonfiglio in May. The following month, she achieved her first junior Grand Slam match wins, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. After this event, she did not compete again until late August, when she clinched her first Grade-1 title at the International Hard Court Championship in the United States. Kasatkina concluded her year at the Junior Fed Cup, playing as the No. 1 singles player. Alongside Veronika Kudermetova and Aleksandra Pospelova, the top-seeded Russian team triumphed in the tournament, defeating Australia in the final.
Her most successful year on the junior tour came in 2014, despite participating in only five tournaments. She reached both the singles and doubles finals at the Grade 1 Trofeo Mauro Sabatini, ultimately winning the singles title. In her final ITF tournament as a junior, Kasatkina secured her first and only junior Grand Slam title in the girls' singles event at the French Open. As the eighth seed, she mounted a comeback from a set down to defeat top seed Ivana Jorović in the final. She became the first Russian girl to win the event since Nadia Petrova in 1998, contributing to Russia's sweep of both junior singles events, as her compatriot and fellow European 16s champion Andrey Rublev won the boys' singles title. In August, Kasatkina also competed in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, where she earned a silver medal in girls' doubles alongside compatriot Anastasiya Komardina. They finished as runners-up to the Ukrainian pair Anhelina Kalinina and Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.
3. Professional Career
Daria Kasatkina's professional career has been marked by a consistent rise through the ranks, punctuated by significant breakthroughs, challenging periods, and ultimately, a powerful resurgence to reach her career-high. Her journey showcases adaptability and tactical prowess on various surfaces.
3.1. Early Professional Years (2013-2017)
Kasatkina began her professional journey in 2013 as a wildcard qualifying entrant at the 2013 Kremlin Cup, though she lost her only match. Her main-draw debut on the ITF Circuit came in November, leading to her first career title at a 10.00 K USD event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, a few months later. She followed this with a 25.00 K USD title in Telavi, Georgia, in September 2014. She received another wildcard for the main draw of the 2014 Kremlin Cup, but lost her WTA Tour debut match to Alison Riske.
In 2015, Kasatkina, starting at world No. 354, ascended rapidly to No. 161 by June, bolstered by four 25.00 K USD ITF titles. She secured her first WTA Tour main-draw match-win in July at the 2015 Gastein Ladies, reaching the quarterfinals. Her improved ranking allowed her to enter qualifying at a major for the first time at the US Open. Despite losing in the final qualifying round, she gained entry as a lucky loser and advanced to the third round, upsetting compatriot and world No. 38, Daria Gavrilova, and world No. 79, Ana Konjuh. Before year-end, she claimed her largest titles yet: a 50.00 K USD singles event at the 2015 L'Open Emeraude Solaire de Saint-Malo in September, and her first WTA title in October, winning the doubles event at the Kremlin Cup with Elena Vesnina. She also reached the semifinals in singles at the Kremlin Cup as a qualifier, defeating world No. 14, Carla Suárez Navarro, for her biggest career win at the time. She concluded 2015 ranked world No. 72.
The 2016 season saw Kasatkina continue her climb, reaching world No. 32 at just 18 and later peaking at No. 24. She began at the Auckland Open, securing her first career top-10 victory against world No. 7, Venus Williams. At the 2016 Australian Open, she reached the third round, defeating No. 27, Anna Karolína Schmiedlová, before losing to world No. 1, Serena Williams. Returning to Russia for the 2016 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, she made the semifinals, losing to Belinda Bencic. At her first Premier Mandatory event, the Indian Wells Open, she advanced to the quarterfinals. In doubles, she reached the semifinals at the 2016 Qatar Total Open with Elena Vesnina, famously ending the 41-match winning streak of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza, the longest on the WTA Tour since 1990. During the middle of the season, Kasatkina reached the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon, both times losing tight three-set matches that ended 10-8 in the decider. She had two opportunities to serve for the match against Kiki Bertens at the French Open. She continued her strong performance at major tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals of the Premier 5 Canadian Open, where she defeated world No. 8, Roberta Vinci, for her second top-10 victory. At the Rio Olympics, she reached the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles (with Kuznetsova), narrowly missing out on medal rounds. Her streak of four consecutive third-round appearances at majors ended at the US Open, where she lost in the opening round to Wang Qiang. Her final significant singles result of the season was a third-round appearance at the Premier 5 2016 Wuhan Open, an event she qualified for after forgetting to sign up. For the second consecutive year, she reached the doubles final at the 2016 Kremlin Cup, partnering with Daria Gavrilova, but they lost to Hlaváčková and Hradecká. Kasatkina ended 2016 ranked world No. 27.
In 2017, Kasatkina maintained a consistent ranking, staying between world No. 24 and No. 42. Despite a slow start, with early exits at the Australian Open and two US Premier Mandatory events, she reached two quarterfinals at Premier tournaments: the Sydney International and the Qatar Ladies Open. In Sydney, she secured her first career victory over a reigning world No. 1 player, defeating Angelique Kerber. Her clay-court season saw better results, highlighted by her first career singles title at the Charleston Open, achieved just before her 20th birthday by defeating fellow teenager Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets. She concluded the clay season with a third-round appearance at the 2017 French Open, losing to eventual finalist and world No. 4, Simona Halep. Her only grass-court tournament was Wimbledon, where she reached the second round. Towards the end of the year, Kasatkina found more success on hardcourts. At the US Open, she made her first major fourth-round appearance, defeating French Open champion Ostapenko before being upset by veteran qualifier Kaia Kanepi. Building on this, she reached another WTA doubles final with Gavrilova at the 2017 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Asia. In singles at the 2017 Wuhan Open, she upset world No. 2, Halep. She also reached her second career Premier Mandatory quarterfinal at the China Open, where she again faced and lost to Halep. Kasatkina concluded the year with a runner-up finish at her hometown Premier tournament, the 2017 Kremlin Cup, upsetting fifth seed and world No. 18, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in the first round before falling to seventh seed Julia Görges in the final.
3.2. Rise to Prominence (2018)
The 2018 season marked a significant breakthrough for Daria Kasatkina, solidifying her status among the sport's elite. After a quiet start in Australia, she swiftly gained momentum, reaching the semifinals at the 2018 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy and then the final at the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships, both Premier tournaments. In St. Petersburg, she notably defeated then-world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki. In Dubai, she demonstrated remarkable resilience, saving three match points to defeat another top-5 player, world No. 3, Garbiñe Muguruza, before losing to defending champion and world No. 4, Elina Svitolina.
Kasatkina's most prominent performance came at the Indian Wells Open, where she reached her second final of the season. Her impressive run included victories over four top-15 players, such as another win against Wozniacki and a thrilling three-set triumph over world No. 8, Venus Williams. She finished as runner-up to fellow 20-year-old Naomi Osaka in a match widely regarded as representing a new wave in women's tennis. This result propelled her to world No. 11 and established her as the new Russian No. 1, ending Kuznetsova's long reign.
She continued her strong form into the clay and grass-court seasons, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2018 Volvo Car Open and the third round at the Premier 5 2018 Italian Open. At the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open, another Premier Mandatory event, she reached the quarterfinals, notably upsetting hometown favorite and world No. 3, Garbiñe Muguruza. Her best clay-court performance was at the 2018 French Open, where she reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. She defeated world No. 2, Wozniacki, for the third time in 2018, in a match that was suspended overnight, before ultimately losing to the eventual runner-up Sloane Stephens. This was followed by another Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon, where she lost to the eventual champion and world No. 11, Angelique Kerber.
Despite an early exit in the second round of the US Open, Kasatkina capped off her exceptional season in October by winning the 2018 Kremlin Cup at home in Russia, her only title of the year. She defeated Tunisian qualifier Ons Jabeur in the final. This victory also secured her debut in the world's top 10 rankings. Kasatkina expressed her joy at this victory, stating, "It was a dream of mine since childhood, to win the Kremlin Cup in front of my crowd. I'm so happy, I still can't believe it... There were fans from Russia, from Tunisia, from everywhere - the atmosphere felt more like Fed Cup, but it was great. But it was amazing because this is what sport is about, the passion." Although she was initially named as the second alternate for the 2018 WTA Finals, she instead participated in the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy. She began the round robin with a win over Wang Qiang but lost to Madison Keys under challenging scheduling conditions. Kasatkina concluded the year ranked world No. 10.
3.3. Challenging Period and Resurgence (2019-2021)
The 2019 season proved challenging for Daria Kasatkina, as she struggled to replicate her previous success. Starting the year in the top 10, her ranking declined steadily, falling as low as world No. 70 by year-end. She finished the season with a losing record of 12-21, a stark contrast to her previous three years where she consistently won over 60% of her matches. This period saw her part ways with longtime coach Philippe Dehaes in February, and she then hired Carlos Martinez in April. Despite the coaching change, her results did not immediately improve, as she did not reach any semifinals during the year. Her notable multi-match wins came at the Premier 5 2019 Italian Open in May and the Premier Mandatory China Open in October, where she advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating Aryna Sabalenka (No. 14) and Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 38) before losing to Caroline Wozniacki (No. 19). Although many of her losses were against higher-ranked opponents, only seven of her 21 defeats were to players outside the top 50. Her highest-ranked victory in 2019 was against Angelique Kerber (No. 13) in the first round of the 2019 Rogers Cup. She remained in the top 50 until the very end of the season when points from the previous year's WTA Elite Trophy expired.
The 2020 season presented mixed results for Kasatkina, compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. She began the year at the 2020 ASB Classic, reaching the second round, and qualified for the main draw at the 2020 Adelaide International before a first-round loss. At the 2020 Australian Open, she exited in the first round. She faced early losses at the 2020 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy and 2020 Dubai Tennis Championships, where she had to enter qualifying. She qualified for the 2020 Qatar Total Open but lost in the first round of the main draw. Her first semifinal appearance since 2018 came at the 2020 Lyon Open (WTA), where she defeated Pauline Parmentier, Irina Bara, and Camila Giorgi, before a three-set loss to Anna-Lena Friedsam. This result briefly lifted her ranking to No. 66 before the WTA Tour suspension. Post-suspension, she lost a marathon match at the 2020 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo (3 hours and 9 minutes), one of the longest matches of 2020. She qualified for the 2020 Western & Southern Open but lost in the first round and suffered another first-round exit at the 2020 US Open. She qualified for the 2020 Italian Open, reaching the third round before withdrawing due to injury against Victoria Azarenka. She recovered for the 2020 French Open, winning her first-round match before falling to Aryna Sabalenka. Her year concluded at the inaugural 2020 J&T Banka Ostrava Open, where she qualified and won her first-round match before losing to Jennifer Brady. She ended 2020 ranked world No. 72, her lowest year-end ranking since 2015.
Kasatkina's resurgence began in the 2021 season, marked by two singles titles. She started strong at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open, reaching the third round. At the 2021 Gippsland Trophy, she advanced to the third round with dominant wins, but lost to Kaia Kanepi. At the 2021 Australian Open, she defeated Katie Boulter but lost a tight match to Aryna Sabalenka in the second round. She bounced back emphatically at the 2021 Phillip Island Trophy, held during the second week of the Australian Open. Here, she recorded back-to-back wins, overcame Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and dominated Petra Martić to reach her first WTA semifinal since 2020. She then defeated Danielle Collins and Marie Bouzková in three sets to claim her third career title and first since Moscow in 2018. This victory propelled her back to world No. 57. She became the first two-time champion of the 2021 season, moving back into the top 50 for the first time since October 2019. Despite this, she had an early exit at the 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Her successful return to form continued at the 2021 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, where she ended the winning streak of rising star Clara Tauson in the first round. She then secured hard-fought victories over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Veronika Kudermetova, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, leading to an all-Russian final against wildcard Margarita Gasparyan, who retired early in the second set, giving Kasatkina her second title of the year. Despite clay being her favored surface, she struggled during the clay-court season, failing to reach a quarterfinal. This included upsets at the 2021 İstanbul Cup and the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open. At the 2021 French Open, she defeated tenth seed Belinda Bencic to reach the third round but lost to Sorana Cîrstea.
On grass, she reached her eighth career final and first on grass at the 2021 Birmingham Classic, coming back from a significant deficit in her first-round match. However, she lost to Ons Jabeur in straight sets. At the 2021 Eastbourne International, she reached the quarterfinals, securing her first top-10 win in two years over Iga Świątek, dropping only one game after losing the opening set. Her grass-court season ended with a second-round exit at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, losing a tight match to Jeļena Ostapenko.
Kasatkina reached her fourth final of the year at the 2021 Silicon Valley Classic, beating former top-10 player Caroline Garcia and overcoming a deficit against Magda Linette in the quarterfinals. She then dominated top seed Elise Mertens without being broken, but ultimately lost to home favorite Danielle Collins in the final. Following early defeats at the 2021 National Bank Open and 2021 Western & Southern Open, she reached the third round of the US Open with wins over Tsvetana Pironkova and Olympic silver medalist Markéta Vondroušová, but lost to fifth seed Elina Svitolina. Her season concluded with a third-round defeat at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open and a surprising first-round exit at the 2021 Kremlin Cup.
3.4. Breakthrough and Career High (2022)
The 2022 season was Daria Kasatkina's most successful to date, culminating in her reaching a career-high world No. 8 ranking. She began the year ranked No. 26 and immediately showcased strong form. At the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 2, a WTA 250 event, she reached the semifinals. The following week, she achieved her second consecutive semifinal at the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic, a WTA 500 event, defeating notable players like eighth seed Sofia Kenin and second seed Garbiñe Muguruza, before losing to eventual champion Paula Badosa. At the 2022 Australian Open, she reached the third round as the 25th seed.
In subsequent hardcourt tournaments, Kasatkina faced defeats to Iga Świątek at both the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships and the 2022 Qatar Total Open. She also experienced third-round losses at Indian Wells and 2022 Miami Open. On clay, at the 2022 Italian Open, she reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal of the season and second of her career, where she lost to Ons Jabeur after holding a match point. As a direct result, she returned to the top 20 rankings and became the No. 1 Russian player on May 16, 2022.
Kasatkina entered the French Open as the 20th seed and delivered a career-defining performance. She defeated Rebecca Šramková, Fernanda Contreras, Shelby Rogers, and 28th seed Camila Giorgi to reach the quarterfinals, matching her 2018 result. She then advanced further, defeating compatriot and 29th seed Veronika Kudermetova to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. Although she lost in straight sets to world No. 1 Iga Świątek for the fourth time that year, this impressive run secured her a top-15 ranking for the first time since early 2019.
Her grass-court season included quarterfinal exits at Berlin and Bad Homburg. Notably, she did not compete at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships due to the All England Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Returning to hardcourts at the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic, she reached the semifinals again, defeating Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, qualifier Taylor Townsend, and world No. 6 and fourth seed, Aryna Sabalenka, with each of her last sets in these matches being a bagel. She then reached back-to-back finals by defeating world No. 4 and second seed, Paula Badosa. Kasatkina triumphed in the final against Shelby Rogers, securing a WTA 500 title. This victory propelled her back into the top 10 at a new career-high of world No. 9 on August 8, 2022. At this point, she was tied for third in total wins for the season with 32, behind only Iga Świątek and Ons Jabeur.
After early exits at the 2022 National Bank Open and 2022 Western & Southern Open, Kasatkina secured her sixth career title at the Granby tournament, losing only one set en route to the victory. However, she experienced a first-round loss at the 2022 US Open to Harriet Dart. Later in the season, she reached the second round of the 2022 Ostrava Open and 2022 San Diego Open, and the third round of the 2022 Guadalajara Open Akron. These results ultimately qualified her for her first WTA Finals. On October 24, 2022, she achieved a new career-high ranking of world No. 8. At the 2022 WTA Finals, Kasatkina lost to Świątek again, but then secured her first victory of the Finals against Coco Gauff in straight sets. However, a close three-set loss to Caroline Garcia prevented her from advancing beyond the round-robin stage.
3.5. Recent Seasons (2023-Present)
The 2023 season saw Daria Kasatkina continue her strong performance with appearances in two WTA 500 finals. She began the year at the 2023 Adelaide International 1, where she lost in the first round to qualifier Linda Nosková. In the second Adelaide event, after a first-round bye, she defeated Barbora Krejčíková and Petra Kvitová in straight sets. She then received a walkover to the final due to an opponent's withdrawal, where she was defeated by Belinda Bencic in straight sets. At the 2023 Australian Open, she unfortunately lost in the first round to Varvara Gracheva.
At the 2023 French Open, she reached the fourth round, ultimately losing to Elina Svitolina. During this tournament, she captivated audiences with a remarkable tweener shot against Markéta Vondroušová in the second round, which was highlighted as one of the best shots of the tournament. She advanced to the final of the 2023 Eastbourne International, receiving a walkover in the semifinal, but lost to Madison Keys in the final. At the 2023 US Open, Kasatkina matched her best-ever result by reaching the fourth round, defeating Alycia Parks, Sofia Kenin, and Greet Minnen. In her first match played in the main Arthur Ashe Stadium, she was defeated by world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka.
In 2024, Kasatkina reached her second consecutive final in Adelaide after receiving another walkover, this time from Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. She was defeated by Jeļena Ostapenko in the final. At the 2024 Australian Open, she fell in the second round to Sloane Stephens. Afterwards, she reached the final of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open after a long semifinal match against Beatriz Haddad Maia, but lost the decisive match in straight sets to Elena Rybakina. In June, Kasatkina secured her seventh career title at the 2024 Eastbourne International, defeating Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals and Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals, before triumphing over Leylah Fernandez in the final. The following week, she exited the 2024 Wimbledon Championships in the third round, losing to Paula Badosa. Kasatkina was invited by the International Olympic Committee to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete, but she declined the invitation, along with 12 other potential neutral tennis players. In September, she reached the final at the upgraded WTA 500 2024 Korea Open, where she lost to Haddad Maia in three sets. After making back-to-back third-round appearances in 2024 China Open and 2024 Wuhan Open, Kasatkina claimed her eighth career title and second of the year at the 2024 Ningbo Open, defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in three sets. Her season continued with a last-minute call-up to the 2024 WTA Finals as an alternate after Jessica Pegula's withdrawal, where she lost to Iga Świątek in straight sets.
4. Playing Style
Daria Kasatkina is 5.6 ft (1.7 m) (5 ft 7 in) tall and weighs 137 lb (62 kg) (137 lb). She is a distinctive baseline player known for her crafty and diverse playing style, often setting her apart from the power-hitting players prevalent in modern women's tennis. Her game is characterized by a wide array of shots, including heavy topspin forehands, effective one-handed slice backhands, versatile kick serves, deceptive drop shots, and innovative tweeners. Her ability to naturally hit one-handed backhands despite typically utilizing a two-handed shot has been compared by tennis journalist Steve Tignor to former men's world No. 1 Andy Murray.
Kasatkina holds a unique distinction: the Guinness World Record for the "most successful tennis tweener shots hit in one minute," having achieved 18 in 2019. Her former coach, Philippe Dehaes, succinctly described her approach as "change of rhythm, change of speed, change of trajectory." Instead of relying on overwhelming power, she prioritizes outsmarting her opponents through tactical variations and intelligent shot placement. While her primary focus is on strategy, she is also capable of hitting powerful groundstrokes. Dehaes emphasized that a key to her game is to avoid hitting the ball into her opponent's predictable strike zone, thus disrupting their rhythm. Kasatkina's unique style has garnered significant praise, with women's tennis coach Wim Fissette even calling her "the Roger Federer of women's tennis."
Her favorite surface is clay, where her game particularly thrives due to its slower pace and higher bounce, which allows her to utilize her hand skills and angles more effectively. Fellow top player Caroline Wozniacki has lauded Kasatkina's clay-court prowess, stating, "The slower the surface is, the better for her. She has very good hands and good angles and everything." This preference extends to slower hard courts, such as those at the Indian Wells Open, where she has also excelled. Demonstrating her versatility, Kasatkina has achieved significant results across all three major surfaces on the WTA Tour, including winning a clay-court title at the Charleston Open, a hard-court title at the Kremlin Cup, and reaching the quarterfinals on grass at Wimbledon.
5. Coaching History
Daria Kasatkina has had several coaches throughout her career, each contributing to her development and adapting to her evolving needs as a player.
When she was eleven years old, Maxim Prasolov began coaching her. At the age of 14, she transitioned to being coached by Damir Rishatovich Nurgaliev. In 2015, seeking a training environment away from the bustling urban setting, which was less feasible in Russia, Kasatkina moved to Trnava in Slovakia. There, she trained at the Empire Tennis Academy under the guidance of former Slovak professional tennis player Vladimír Pláteník.
After three years with Pláteník, Kasatkina hired Belgian coach Philippe Dehaes in late 2017. Interestingly, Kasatkina had first sought out Dehaes in late 2013 during a visit to Belgium to secure funding from a foundation supporting one of Dehaes's junior players. Dehaes's coaching philosophy differed from Pláteník's; while Pláteník focused on adapting the game to the opponent, Dehaes emphasized giving Kasatkina more freedom and encouraging her to be creative, describing her play as an artist working on an "empty canvas." Kasatkina and Dehaes parted ways in February 2019, as she desired a break from having a coach, and Dehaes needed consistent employment.
After two months without a coach, she appointed Carlos Martinez, who had previously coached fellow Russian player Svetlana Kuznetsova, in April 2019. Throughout these coaching changes, her older brother, Alexandr, has consistently served as her fitness trainer. Kasatkina and Martinez's coaching relationship concluded in February 2023, at which point former player Flavio Cipolla took over as her coach.
6. National Team Representation
Daria Kasatkina has consistently represented Russia in various team competitions throughout her junior and professional careers, achieving notable successes.
Her national team journey began in the junior circuit, where she was part of the Russian team that won the Junior Fed Cup in 2013. Her senior Fed Cup debut for Russia came in 2016 during a World Group quarterfinal against the Netherlands. Although Russia lost the tie, Kasatkina secured a win in the dead rubber doubles match with Ekaterina Makarova. Two months later, she participated in the 2016 Fed Cup World Group play-offs against Belarus, playing three rubbers due to the absence of Makarova and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She won her first "live rubber" singles match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, but Russia lost all three other singles rubbers and was consequently relegated out of the World Group, despite Kasatkina also winning the doubles dead rubber with Elena Vesnina.
In 2017, Russia competed in World Group II, winning their tie to advance to the 2017 Fed Cup World Group play-offs. Kasatkina, after skipping the World Group II tie, returned for the Play-off round. For the second consecutive year, Russia lost in this round to Belgium, remaining in World Group II. Kasatkina won her sole singles match, but the decisive doubles rubber, where she partnered with Vesnina, was lost to Elise Mertens and An-Sophie Mestach. She did not participate in the Fed Cup in 2018, as Russia was further relegated to the Europe/Africa zonal group.
Kasatkina returned to represent Russia in the 2019 Europe/Africa zonal competitions, winning her only match against Karen Barritza in straight sets. This victory contributed to Russia securing a spot in the 2019 Fed Cup World Group II play-offs. Her significant return to the team came for the 2020-21 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, where she was nominated as the second-ranked Russian player. In the group stage, Kasatkina defeated Carol Zhao in straight sets, contributing to Russia's dominant 3-0 win. She then secured a crucial victory against Jil Teichmann in the final, helping Russia clinch their first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2008. In 2024, Kasatkina, along with 12 other potential neutral tennis players, declined an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete.
7. Personal Life and Public Engagement
Daria Kasatkina's personal life is characterized by her passion for sports beyond tennis, her evolution in sponsorships, and her significant impact through social advocacy. She currently resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
7.1. Personal Interests
Kasatkina is an ardent admirer of Rafael Nadal, considering him her favorite tennis player and a childhood idol since she began watching him at the 2005 French Open. His playing style has notably influenced her own. While she also admires female players like Petra Kvitová and Maria Sharapova, she openly prefers watching men's tennis, citing the superior serving and court movement of male players. Beyond tennis, Kasatkina is a general sports enthusiast, particularly enjoying football. She is a devoted fan of FC Barcelona and greatly admires Lionel Messi.
Throughout her career, Kasatkina has had endorsement deals with prominent brands. She was sponsored by Nike, Tecnifibre, and Instaforex. However, her sponsorship with Nike concluded in 2021 following a period of challenging results. In August 2021, she signed an endorsement deal with Adidas for her clothing, footwear, and apparel. In 2022, she made a notable switch to Decathlon's Artengo racquets after trying different racquets in a blind test, signaling her focus on equipment that best supports her game.
7.2. Coming Out and Social Advocacy
Daria Kasatkina has made significant strides in social advocacy, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ rights and international relations, demonstrating remarkable courage and conviction. In a 2021 interview with Sofya Tartakova, she made comments that were widely interpreted as discussing her bisexuality. In July 2022, she explicitly clarified these remarks, publicly coming out as lesbian in an interview where she also revealed her relationship with Russian figure skater Natalia Zabiiako. Their relationship became public after both shared photos of each other on Instagram. Kasatkina articulated that she "found living in the closet impossible," emphasizing the personal liberation that came with authenticity.
She has been a vocal critic of attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and the restrictions on rights within Russia, stating, "There is no easier way to live in the world than to be straight. If you can choose, nobody would choose to be gay. Why complicate your life, especially in Russia? In the current situation, it will not happen that you can go out in the streets holding hands. For me, living in the closet is impossible. You just keep thinking about it until you decide to come out. Of course, it's up to you how you do it, and how much you tell, but being at peace with yourself is the most important thing."
In the same pivotal 2022 interview, Kasatkina strongly condemned the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to Russian aggression and expressing profound solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Her stance, a rare and brave act among Russian athletes, garnered widespread praise internationally. She has expressed uncertainty about the consequences of her return to Russia to see friends and family, but she has maintained that she does not regret her decision to speak out. In June 2023, she further extended her empathy, stating her understanding for Ukrainian players who refuse to shake her hand after matches, acknowledging, "It's a very sad situation and I understand." Her consistent and forthright stance on these sensitive issues has cemented her reputation as a powerful voice for human rights and social progress within the sports world.
Starting in 2023, Kasatkina and her partner Natalia Zabiiako launched a YouTube channel. The channel offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at life on the WTA Tour, featuring vlogs from various tournaments and interviews with other professional tennis players, further demonstrating her engagement with fans and the wider community.
8. Career Statistics
Daria Kasatkina's professional career statistics demonstrate her consistent presence and achievements at the highest levels of tennis. She has won eight singles titles and one doubles title on the WTA Tour. Her career prize money totals 13.07 M USD. As of October 24, 2022, her highest singles ranking was world No. 8, and her highest doubles ranking was world No. 43 on September 12, 2016. Her singles record stands at 392 wins and 222 losses, while her doubles record is 54 wins and 60 losses.
8.1. Grand Slam tournament performance timelines
8.1.1. Singles
| Tournament | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Win-loss | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 7-9 | 44% |
| French Open | A | 3R | 3R | QF | 2R | 2R | 3R | SF | 4R | 2R | 21-9 | 70% |
| Wimbledon | A | 3R | 2R | QF | 1R | NH | 2R | A | 3R | 3R | 12-7 | 63% |
| US Open | 3R | 1R | 4R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 4R | 2R | 12-10 | 55% |
| Win-loss | 2-1 | 6-4 | 6-4 | 10-4 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 6-4 | 7-3 | 8-4 | 5-4 | 52-35 | 60% |
8.1.2. Doubles
| Tournament | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Win-loss | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1-5 | 17% |
| French Open | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | 3-4 | 43% |
| Wimbledon | 3R | A | A | 1R | NH | 1R | A | 2-3 | 40% |
| US Open | 2R | 3R | A | 2R1 | A | 2R | A | 5-3 | 63% |
| Win-loss | 4-4 | 3-3 | 0-2 | 3-2 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 11-15 | 42% |
Note: 1Kasatkina and Anett Kontaveit withdrew from the 2019 US Open before their second-round match, which does not officially count as a loss.
9. Awards and Recognition
Daria Kasatkina has received several awards and official recognitions throughout her career, primarily from the Russian Cup organization for her contributions to Russian tennis.
Her accolades from the Russian Cup include:
- Team of the Year - Girls Under-14: 2011
- Team of the Year - Girls Under-16: 2012, 2013
- Junior of the Year: 2014
- Team of the Year: 2021