An emotional Daria Kasatkina says she feels the pressure of delivering success for her new country after playing in Australia for the first time since switching from Russia.<\/p>\n
The openly gay 28-year-old changed allegiance to Australia last March having criticised Russia’s attitude towards LGBTQ people and described the war in Ukraine as a “nightmare”.<\/p>\n
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The former world number eight, now ranked 40, was almost in tears on Sunday before her first-round match in Brisbane after being given a warm reception by the home crowd.<\/p>\n
Kasatkina lost in three sets to Anastasia Potapova, who herself gave up representing Russia last year and now plays for Austria.<\/p>\n
“Honestly, when I was stepping on court with all the cheers and everything, I almost started crying,” said Kasatkina.<\/p>\n
“But I was able to hold it. I wanted to win so much and feel this extra energy by the end of the match, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”<\/p>\n
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Kasatkina was playing for the first time since ending her 2025 season early, having said in October that “mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point”.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Sunday, she said: “I have been through a tough year, now I’m fine, but still I have to get out of the deep hole right now.<\/p>\n
“I have been through these sort of challenges before in my career a couple of times,” she added.<\/p>\n
Kasatkina, who has won eight singles titles, said that she felt “a weight on my shoulders” of delivering for her new country.<\/p>\n
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“Only I put this pressure on me because I want to show, I want to represent Australia, show the result and everything,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Of course when it’s not happening, I feel bad. Even I know that nobody’s expecting me to do so, I’m expecting myself to kind of pay back the country and stuff.”<\/p>\n
Four Russian women tennis players changed nationalities in 2025.<\/p>\n
Along with Kasatkina and Potapova, Kamilla Rakhimova and Maria Timofeeva both changed allegiances to Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n
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Kasatkina said she didn’t know if any more would follow.<\/p>\n
“I honestly don’t know if more are coming or not because everyone keeps these things as a secret till the last moment,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know, it’s been already a lot of girls who switched. So maybe yes, maybe no. It’s a confidential thing and I don’t know any gossip, unfortunately for you.”<\/p>\n
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