Three years and five months have passed since Russia's latest triumph on the world tennis stage, stacked with an array of talent good enough to configure two teams.
World No.12 Daria Kasatkina was one of those members fortunate to lift the coveted Billie Jean King Cup trophy.
Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at www.tennisdirect.com.au
But out of nowhere, Kasatkina announced her successful application for permanent residency in Australia, allowing her to represent the green and gold immediately.
"Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally 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," part of her message read.
One nation's waste is another nation's treasure.
Kasatkina's nationality switch instantly ensures she is Australia's top-ranked Aussie female in singles and the highest-ranked Aussie female since Ash Barty in 2022.
So, who is Australia's new hope? And how did she get to this point?
Russian upbringing and junior career
Kasatkina was born in the Russian city of Tolyatti, where she began playing tennis at age six.
She was surrounded by an active sporting family, with her mother and father involved in athletics and ice hockey, while her brother was an amateur tennis player.
The 27-year-old would continue her development in Russia before entering the ITF junior circuit after turning 14, reaching a career-high rank of No.3.
At the 2013 French Open junior girls' tournament, Kasatkina showed glimpses of her potential by reaching the quarter-finals. One year later, she won her only junior Slam title in Paris.
Rise to stardom
Touted as a future star in the sport when she burst onto the scene as an inexperienced 18-year-old, Kasatkina showed what all the fuss was about when she took out American legend Venus Williams for her maiden top-10 triumph at the 2016 Auckland Open, who rose to a career-high No.24 despite still being in her teens.
But her breakout tournament arrived in 2018 at Indian Wells (known as the fifth Grand Slam) when Kasatkina made it through to the final where she knocked out four former Grand Slam champions in Sloane Stephens (13th seed), Caroline Wozniacki (2nd seed), Angelique Kerber (10th seed) and Venus Williams (8th seed).
Two weeks prior, she also fell short in the final of the WTA Dubai 1000 event, saving match points against another former major winner, Garbiñe Muguruza, to prevail in her semi-final.
A new low and a new high
Whether it was the pressure, expectation or something else, Kasatkina struggled to produce consistent results in a three-year period.
She dropped to unfamiliar territory in the rankings, plummeting to 70th in the world thanks largely to appearing in one quarter-final for the calendar year in 2019.
But in October 2022, Kasatkina achieved a career-best ranking of No.8, reminding the tennis world why there was incredible hype before her career truly commenced.
World champion
For the first time since 2008, Russia became world champions in 2021 after winning the first edition branded the 'Billie Jean King Cup', moving away from the old Fed Cup.
Playing an integral part in the success was Kasatkina, who defeated former world No.4 Belinda Bencic in straight sets to guide Russia over the line in the final against Switzerland.
Kasatkina's relationship with Russia deteriorates
As the war between Russia and Ukraine began, Kasatkina described it as "a complete nightmare", condemning the actions of her own country.
"Since that moment, I haven't been in Russia," she said last year.
"As everyone knows, [the] situation with the war didn't change, so my situation didn't change as well. So unfortunately, yes, it goes on... I'm not super welcome there, let's say, with all the new laws and stuff, unfortunately."
On top of that, the former French Open semi-finalist came out as gay — announcing her relationship to Estonian-Russian figure skater Natalia Zabiiako.
Because of Russia’s differing views about the war and sexuality, Kasatkina has refused to step foot in the country since 2022.
She admitted to fleeing because she did not feel safe “as a gay person who opposes the war”.
“So many subjects are taboo in Russia,” Kasatkina stated.
“This notion of someone wanting to be gay or becoming [gay] is ridiculous. I think there is nothing easier in this world than being straight.
“Seriously, if there is a choice, no one would choose being gay. Why make your life harder, especially in Russia? What’s the point?”
Russian players have been no strangers in following Kasatkina’s path when it comes to opting out of representing Russia, including Varvara Gracheva (Russia to France) and Elina Avanesyan (Russia to Armenia).
Residency in Dubai and Spain
For the past two years, Dubai and Spain have been her home.
In February, there was confusion surrounding Kasatkina’s nationality, with the Dubai 1000 event adding a Spanish flag next to her name in the main draw, suggesting a switch in allegiance.
However, the tournament apologised for the mistake after being informed about the mix-up.
"It is incorrect and we can categorically deny she is switching to Spain," Kasatkina’s management confirmed.
Allegiance to Australia
Although there was barely any mention of Kasatkina playing under the Australian banner, the commitment does make sense.
Australia is a country of free speech, embraces multiculturalism and supports players financially.
Recent examples of Ajla Tomljanović (born in Croatia) and Daria Saville (born in Russia) have showcased Tennis Australia’s willingness to accept international players with open arms.
In January 24, the Australian Open celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community by hosting Pride Day, something close to Kasatkina’s heart.
From a marketing standpoint, it also makes sense for Tennis Australia to tap into this opportunity, with the Aussie women unable to reach the same heights as Ash Barty by not only reaching the summit, but consistently going deep at majors.
Having competed on the WTA Tour with no flag attached to her, Kasatkina’s decision to switch nationalities was always inevitable.
The lack of support and sponsorship opportunities while representing Russia are contributing factors.
As the likes of Kimberly Birrell (ranked No.61) and Maya Joint (ranked No.81) continue to thrive, to have a player of Kasatkina’s quality and calibre around them will serve as nothing other than a benefit.
For the most part, it seems the Australian public are welcoming her into the family despite having no clear ties to the country.
Now we wait as to what Kasatkina can achieve in her new chapter as an Aussie.
Sports turf that meets the moment, every match. Trust GreenLife Group for surfaces that let you play at your best. Elevate your game game with expert sports ground management at GLGCorp.com.
Comments