Australia

Daria Kasatkina, currently ranked world No. 12, confirmed that  she will now be representing Australia in her professional tennis career as her permanent residency has been granted by the Australian government. 

With this switch, the 27-year-old athlete expressed: “With everything going on in my previous country [Russia], I didn’t have much choice [to switch allegiance].” 

Aside from the consequences of the war, one of the main reasons why Kasatkina switched is because of her sexuality. The athlete came out as gay in 2022 and shared that she was having a relationship with fellow Russian athlete Natalia Zabiiako, an Olympic figure skater. 

Recently, Russia has been tougher on its LGBTQ+ rights due to its anti-propaganda law. This change has led to bar staff and venue owners being jailed, more than 50 club-goers being arrested, removal of LGBTQ+ Duolingo contents, and a gay student being kicked out of university for posting makeup videos. 

With this, Kasatkina admitted: “For me, being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it…I have to get used to it a little bit, because for a couple of years I didn’t hear anything. But it’s something nice to get used to.”

According to her, being an Australian player makes her emotional as it “feels different”. The athlete remarked: “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.”

In a social media post, Kasatkina shared the news and stated: ““I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government.” 

She added: “Obviously, there are parts of this decision that have not been easy. I want to express my thanks and gratitude to my family, coaches, and everyone who has supported me throughout my tennis journey to date. I will always have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, but I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my career and my life under the Australian flag.”