Daria Kasatkina explains the timing of her decision to go public with her sexuality and oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Daria Kasatkina beat Alycia Parks 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in round one of US Open.

Daria Kasatkina explains the timing of her decision to go public with her sexuality and oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Daria Kasatkina (L); Kasatkina with her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako (R) (Source: CNN/Outsports)

Daria Kasatkina, Russia’s current No. 1 singles tennis player, decided to come out as gay in July 2022, when the tension regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine was at its peak. In a recent interview, the 26-year-old revealed why she chose exactly that time to make such an important and sensitive announcement, living in a country like Russia that has always opposed the LGBTQ+ community very openly. 

“Everything was just so messed up already. It’s a war. The laws in our country are getting worse & worse. I realize to be a gay person in Russia, it’s becoming impossible. All this together makes me say what I feel & what I want to say.  I just couldn’t be silent anymore about myself, about the war. I just felt that as a public person, this is what I can do, and I did it,” Daria said. Daria had also opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine very openly and received widespread appreciation from fans all over the world for her bravery back then. (H/T: New York Times)

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Daria revealed her sexuality in a video interview with Russia’s famous blogger, Vitya Kravchenko, saying she could not ‘live in the closet’ anymore. She also revealed that she was in a relationship with a woman-figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, who was born in Estonia but represents Canada. 

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She talked about why living in Russia for a gay person was impossible at this point because of their rigorous rules against the LGBTQ community. Their “gay propaganda” law which was passed back in 2013 detains people participating in gay rights marches and gay rights activists too. The Russian lawmakers are also currently trying to put a complete ban on the promotion of LGBTQ+ relationships. After her revelation, Daria is not currently based in Russia. 

Read More: WATCH: Laura Siegemund breaks down in tears after thrashing pro-Coco Gauff US Open crowd for treating her ‘like a cheater’ following her heated loss in the first round

Daria Kasatkina reaches Round 2 of the US Open

Daria Kasatkina
Daria Kasatkina (Source: Kisma Sports)

Daria Kasatkina defeated American tennis player Alycia Parks in the first round of her US Open campaign. She beat her 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 pretty effortlessly and has now proceeded on to the next round of the tournament. 

Her best Grand Slam performance came back in 2022 when she reached the semi-final of the French Open. It will be interesting to see whether she can top that in the ongoing tournament. She is the 13th seed in the tournament and has a career-high ranking of World No.8. 

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