Russian-born tennis player Daria Kasatkina has revealed that her decision to compete for Australia was influenced by her sexuality, stating she “didn’t have much choice.”
Kasatkina is set to play under a new flag for the first time at the Charleston Open after announcing that her application for permanent residency in Australia had been approved. In recent years, she has been living in Spain and Dubai, competing as a neutral athlete amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“With everything happening in my previous country, I didn’t have many options,” Kasatkina said about her decision to switch nationalities. “Being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I had to take this step, and I did.”
Currently ranked 12th in the world, Kasatkina came out as gay in July 2022 and is in a relationship with figure skater Natalia Zabiiako.
While same-sex relationships were decriminalized in Russia in 1993, the situation has become increasingly challenging. In 2013, Russia passed a “gay propaganda” law that has been used to target the LGBTQ community. This law was expanded in December 2022, making it illegal to promote same-sex relationships or portray non-heterosexual orientations as “normal.”
According to ILGA-Europe, an organization advocating for LGBTQ rights in Europe, Russia is ranked as the worst country in Europe for LGBTQ individuals, following Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Kasatkina shared on Instagram last week that she plans to live in Melbourne, describing Australia as “a place I love, incredibly welcoming, and where I feel totally at home.”
Ahead of her second-round match against American Lauren Davis in Charleston, South Carolina, the 27-year-old admitted that the transition felt emotional. “Honestly, it feels different, I’m not going to lie. It’s emotional for me. I have to get used to it. But I’m really happy to start this new chapter of my life representing Australia on the big stage.”
