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Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina recently opened up about the life-changing year that was 2022.
The World No. 8 has been very vocal since her home country of Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kasatkina has time and again spoken out against the war and promoted the idea of peace.
Ahead of the 2023 Australian Open, Daria Kasatkina spoke about the dire circumstances she witnessed in 2022 and expressed her empathy towards her Ukrainian colleagues.
"Of course I’m worried," she said, as per the Guardian, "I have so many friends and people I know from Ukraine and hearing the stories, what they’re telling me. It’s painful because I’m thinking, imagine if I’m in their spot."
"It’s been almost a year living in these circumstances. I want this to end as soon as possible, but unfortunately it’s not depending on us. They’re my friends and I want to show them love and support because it’s very tough. For them, it’s more difficult," she remarked.
The Russian also spoke about being separated from her family for a prolonged period due to war, revealing that she hasn't seen her father in two years.
"I can see them almost never. I didn’t see my father for two years. But it is what it is. It’s life, unfortunately," she confessed.
In regards to her personal life, Daria Kasatkina made the bold decision to publicly reveal her sexuality in 2022, as she came out as gay despite the risk of being made to feel like an outcast in her conservative home country.
The 25-year-old was, however, surprised to see her declaration be received very warmly by her friends and colleagues.
"This topic is very sensitive, so I was ready for some negative reaction, but there was nothing like that," she said, "I’m very thankful because that makes me feel so good. Some of the players were coming to me, sometimes they’re still coming to me, to say ‘yeah, it’s cool’ or ‘congrats’ to me. That’s nice."
"I remember after saying all these things, I just felt much better. That was one of the best decisions of the last year and I’m happy with the outcome," she added.
Daria Kasatkina gears up for the 2023 Australian Open
Daria Kasatkina is currently in action at the 2023 Australian Open, where she is scheduled to play her first-round match on January 17.
The World No. 8, who is fresh off of a runner-up finish at the Adelaide International 2, will look to make a deep run at the first Slam of the year, starting off with a clash against compatriot Varvara Gracheva.
