Daria Kasatkina heads into the Australian Open with a new passport, a new sense of freedom, and a fresh chapter in her tennis career. For the first time, the 28-year-old will play a Grand Slam as a home player-representing Australia after gaining citizenship in the lead-up to the tournament.
And for Kasatkina, it’s more than just a change in nationality. It’s a deep breath after years of holding it in.
“Finally I can just breathe,” she said ahead of the tournament. “I can live and just do my job and not be worried about the things which are not in my control.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kasatkina had been competing as a neutral athlete. That same year, she came out as gay and hasn’t returned to Russia since, openly describing the war as a “nightmare.” The combination of personal courage and political tension made for a heavy emotional load-one that clearly took its toll.
By October of last season, Kasatkina had reached her limit. She ended her 2025 campaign early, saying she was “at breaking point” both mentally and emotionally. Now, with a new flag beside her name and a new start in Melbourne, she’s hoping to turn the page.
Her first-round opponent is Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova, and Kasatkina-now the Australian No. 2-can expect plenty of support from the home crowd. That’s a new experience, and one she’s embracing with cautious optimism.
“For the first time I’m going to play in front of such a big home crowd, so that’s going to be special,” she said. “I have to manage my nerves, because I’ve never been in this situation before. This is a good pressure, so I would choose this one compared to what I have been through in the past couple of years.”
She called the opportunity to play a home Slam “a really special chapter” in her life. And after everything she’s weathered-on and off the court-it’s hard to argue with that.
Meanwhile, another familiar name is making headlines for very different reasons. Mirra Andreeva, Kasatkina’s friend and former compatriot, continues her rapid rise as Russia’s top women’s player. The 18-year-old claimed her fourth WTA title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1 win over Victoria Mboko in the Adelaide International final.
Andreeva dropped the first three games of the match, then flipped the switch-winning six straight to take the opening set and never looking back. She broke early in the second and closed it out on serve against the 19-year-old Canadian.
It’s just the latest milestone in a breakout stretch for Andreeva, who won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles last season in Dubai and Indian Wells. Now ranked No. 8 in the world, she’ll open her Australian Open campaign against Paris Olympics silver medalist Donna Vekic.
Elsewhere on the tour, 18-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik captured the men’s title in Auckland with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. And in Hobart, Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto secured her first WTA title since 2023, defeating American Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-4.
With the Australian Open set to begin Sunday in Melbourne, the stage is set. For some, like Andreeva, it’s about building on momentum. For others, like Kasatkina, it’s about starting anew-with clarity, courage, and a crowd finally behind her.