‘New Chapter’ Begins for Daria Kasatkina

’17 CHARLESTON CHAMP MAKING DEBUT UNDER AUSTRALIAN FLAG

When Daria Kasatkina takes the court this week at the 2025 Credit One Charleston Open, for the first time in her 11-year professional career she’ll be doing so under a new flag, that of Australia.

Born in Tolyatti, Russia, Kasatkina, the 2017 Credit One Charleston Open champion and a finalist here last year, has been playing on the WTA Tour as a neutral athlete since 2022. But she has switched allegiances after her application for permanent residency was accepted by the Australian government.

“Mate,” offered Kasatkina with a laugh, trying out an Aussie colloquialism as she walked into a sit-down with gathered media on Monday.

“It’s my first official day as an Australian player. Honestly, it feels different, I’m not going to lie. It’s emotional for me,” continued Kasatkina, 27, “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.”

A Roland Garros semifinalist in 2022, the same year she reached a career-high No. 8 in the PIF WTA Rankings, Kasatkina was all but a woman without a country the past few years, a state of flux she says she’s happy to leave behind.

“With everything going on in my previous country, I didn’t have much choice,” said the winner of eight WTA singles titles. “For me, being openly-gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it.”

Charleston might just be the ideal spot for Kasatkina to make her new start. After all, this is where she captured her first tour-level title, a moment she’s never forgotten. She would defeat Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the title match, 6-3, 6-1.

“I still remember that day like it was yesterday,” she said. “Charleston is also one of the places where I feel at home because of the people here. I have the best memories here. If I can have another good run here, that would be amazing.”

Kasatkina returned to the final in 2024, falling to American Danielle Collins in the final, 6-2, 6-1.

After a first-round bye, the fifth-seeded Kasatkina awaits either Lauren Davis or Jamie Loeb. When she walks onto the court, she’ll hear: ‘FROM AUSTRALIA, DARIA KASATKINA’, something she admits will take some getting used to.

“For a couple of years, I didn’t hear anything.”