Daria Kasatkina Finds Her Peace-and a New Home Crowd-at the Australian Open
MELBOURNE - For Daria Kasatkina, the phrase “No worries” used to feel more like a punchline than a mindset. But as she steps onto the court for the 2026 Australian Open, playing her first major as an Australian citizen, that laid-back Aussie mantra is starting to hit home in a very real way.
After a 2025 season that ended in burnout and emotional exhaustion, the former world No. 8 is now embracing a fresh start-not just in terms of tennis, but in how she approaches life.
“In the past few years I have been through things which were out of my control,” Kasatkina said during her pre-tournament press conference. “Unfortunately, they were very, very emotionally exhausting.
I was trying to get out of this, like, hole basically. It's never easy.”
That “hole” wasn’t just about tennis. Kasatkina has navigated a uniquely complex path over the last few years.
Since coming out publicly and speaking out against Russia’s 2023 invasion of Ukraine, she’s lived with a sense of disconnection-stateless, in a way. While she’s kept a positive face through her YouTube vlog and stayed connected with fans, the weight of geopolitical pressures and personal identity took a toll on her game.
Her ranking slid from No. 9 to No. 38, and by October, she shut down her season entirely.
Now ranked No. 48, Kasatkina is turning the page. And she’s doing it in a country that’s welcomed her with open arms.
“They're just like, ‘Give it a crack, that’s okay,’” she said, smiling. “I’m like, ‘Makes sense, actually.
Okay, take a coffee and just relax?’ I’m like, okay, I’ll take a coffee, and I will relax.
Okay, guys!”
That kind of relaxed, supportive energy isn’t something Kasatkina grew up with. Coming from a background that emphasized pressure, sacrifice, and, at times, survival, the shift in mindset has been profound.
“This calm way of thinking, it’s actually something I was missing,” she said. “Maybe my gray hair will disappear if I take things a bit more easily than I did before.”
What’s changed most is her ability to trust-not just in herself, but in the people around her. For someone who’s spent years feeling like she had to keep her guard up, that’s no small thing.
“Talking to the people here, I really love it,” she said. “I always had this feeling that when someone’s really positive and supportive, you’re like, ‘Something’s wrong here.
I don’t understand what, but something’s not right.’ Now I’m just like, ‘Okay, they’re just like this, Daria.
Accept that they’re just good people. Just take it and live with that.’”
Kasatkina will open her Australian Open campaign against Czech qualifier Nina Bartunkova, with a potential matchup against Belinda Bencic-an old rival from their junior days-looming later in the draw. But for once, the pressure she feels isn’t the heavy kind.
“This is a good pressure,” she said. “So I would choose this one compared to what I’ve been through in the past couple of years. Let’s call it fun pressure.”
She’ll also be playing in front of a home crowd for the first time-something she admits will come with nerves, but also pride.
“Yeah, for the first time I’m gonna play in front of such a big home crowd, so that’s gonna be special,” she said. “Definitely have to manage my nerves, because I’ve never been in this situation before.
But honestly, I’m super proud. It’s an extremely positive change.
The whole last year has been a year of transition, which brought me to where I am right now.”
And where she is now is a place of peace. After years of carrying weight that had nothing to do with forehands or footwork, Kasatkina is finally able to exhale.
“Finally, I can just breathe,” she said. “I can live and just do my job and not be worried about the things which are not in my control.”
That might not win her every match. But in a sport where mental clarity is half the battle, it’s a powerful place to start.