| Full Name | Daria Sergeyevna Kasatkina |
| Date of Birth | May 7, 1997 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Birth Place | Tolyatti, Russia |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 62 kg |
| Role | Right-handed counterpuncher (two-handed backhand) |
| Networth | $5 million |
| Rank | 3500 |
| Coach | Carlos Martinez |
| Family | Sergey (father), Tatyana (mother), Aleksandr (brother) |
Daria Kasatkina is a Russian tennis player who is widely considered one of the most promising youngsters on the women's tour right now.
Kasatkina has already notched up quite a few big wins, and has broken into the top 10 of the WTA singles rankings. She is expected to carry forward her success from the junior circuit on to the senior tour, and has shown strong signs that she is here to stay for a long time.
Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:
Australian Open: 3rd Round (2016)
French Open: Quarterfinalist (2018)
Wimbledon: Quarterfinalist (2018)
US Open: 4th Round (2017)
Highest Ranking: No. 10
Kasatkina is a counterpuncher by nature, but in the mold of Agnieszka Radwanska rather than Sara Errani. She uses a lot of variety and guile while defending, outthinking her opponents rather than outslugging them.
Kasatkina has a unique forehand with which she generates a lot of topspin. She can also produce extreme angles with that shot, which she uses to spread the court and stretch her opponents wide.
The Russian hits a relatively flatter backhand, but uses the underspin slice almost as often as the topspin two-hander. She also makes generous use of drop shots and lobs to tug players all over the court.
Kasatkina doesn't approach the net very often, but has a safe pair of hands while volleying.
Kasatkina's movement is arguably her biggest strength. She has tremendous foot speed and anticipation, both of which she uses to frustrate her opponents into errors.
Kasatkina's unorthodox forehand is a serious weapon; she can effortlessly move players from side to side by using the angles and depth she can generate with it. She can also defend exceptionally well off that wing, using the squash slice to good effect.
The Russian's backhand has commendable variety. She can hit many different kinds of topspin backhands with a similar backswing, and her slice has also been known to confound her opponents.
Kasatkina doesn't have a great serve, which makes her liable to be broken very often in her matches. She can also find it difficult sometimes to put away short balls, as she lacks the firepower off the ground that some of the current top 10 players have.
Kasatkina was born in Togliatty, Russia, and lives there to this day. Her father Sergey has been working in the car industry, while mother Tatyana is a home-maker.
Kasatkina was introduced to tennis at the age of six by her brother Aleksandr. She took a liking to clay right from her early days, and that shows in the way she patiently constructs points even today.
Kasatkina had a successful junior career, winning the 2014 French Open girls' title at the age of 17. Just a year later she made heads turn in her Grand Slam debut, reaching the 3rd round at the 2015 US Open after defeating Daria Gavrilova and Ana Konjuh.
Now a regular presence at the business end of Slams, Kasatkina continues to flummox a majority of her opponents with her unique mix of spin and touch. She is expected to be one of the dominant forces in women's tennis over the course of the next decade.
Social media presence:
Daria Kasatkina Instagram: @kasatkina
Daria Kasatkina Twitter: @DKasatkina
