Daria Kasatkina has made a huge career and life move as she will no longer represent Russia after switching her nationality to Australia.
In the summer of 2022, the Moscow-born tennis player publicly came out as gay. At the time, she also spoke out against Russia's actions in Ukraine. Since then, she hasn't made any visits to Russia due to safety concerns.
However, Kasatkina remained listed as a Russian player and recognized as a neutral on the WTA Tour. But now, the world No. 12 is set to have a flag by her name once again.
"Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards," the 27-year-old announced on Instagram.
Kasatkina: Some parts of this decision haven't been easy, I respect my roots...
In the same message, the 2022 French Open semifinalist highlighted that deciding to represent a different country wasn't an easy thing to do.
"Obviously, there are parts of this decision that have not been easy... I will always have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, but I'm thrilled to start this new chapter in my career and my life under the Australian flag," the eight-time WTA champion said.
Before switching her nationality, world No. 12 Kasatkina had been the top-ranked Russian female tennis player. Now, she automatically becomes the highest-ranked Australian female player on the Tour.
Just last month, the 27-year-old was listed as a Spanish player in Abu Dhabi. At the time, the tournament said they made a mistake while the tennis star insisted there were no plans to change her nationality.
Meanwhile, Kasatkina's 2025 season has been inconsistent so far as she is only 9-8 and is coming off a second-round loss in Miami.
