Of late, tennis players like Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz have raised concerns about tournament schedules. Novak Djokovic has also expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation for unseeded and early-exit players. Tournament organizers have responded with some adjustments, yet the complaints persist.
Daria Kasatkina, currently ranked World No. 11, is known for her outspoken nature. She recently delivered a blunt critique, stating that tennis poses unique challenges in terms of life logistics. Earlier this year, she drew attention for publicly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the Ukraine conflict, despite being Russian herself.
Who is Daria Kasatkina?
Daria Kasatkina was born on May 27, 1997, in Togliatti, Russia, and currently resides there with her girlfriend, Natalia Zabiako. Kasatkina was introduced to tennis at the age of six by her brother, Aleksandr, who also serves as her fitness trainer.
The Russian star’s first junior title came at the 2014 Roland Garros when she was 17 years old, a year before Kasatkina made her Grand Slam debut by reaching the 3rd round of the US Open. Kasatkina has won six WTA singles titles and one WTA doubles title in her career so far. She secured her first two singles titles at Charleston in 2017 and Moscow in 2018.
In 2021, Daria Kasatkina was in excellent form, claiming two WTA 500 titles in the first three months of the year. She won the Philip Island Trophy in Melbourne and the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. In August 2022, Kasatkina added to her impressive resume by winning her second title of the season at the WTA 250 event in Granby, Canada, where she defeated Daria Saville in the final.
Kasatkina calls out tennis rigorous travel schedule
Daria Kasatkina, in an emotional outburst, expressed her frustrations with the logistical challenges of tennis, describing it as one of the most demanding sports in terms of life logistics. Her statement came after the 26-year-old suffered a quarterfinal defeat to Jessica Pegula in Tokyo. Following her loss, she had to quickly transition to Beijing, where she won her opening match in October but was defeated the next day in the second round.
Kasatkina concluded her Asian Swing by losing in the Zhengzhou semifinals to Barbora Krejcikova, a matchup between two Top 20 players, with a final score of 6-3, 6-0. Kasatkina voiced her concerns about the toll that extensive travel takes on her body, highlighting the physical challenges she faces due to the demanding schedule.
“I arrived to a Masters and they meet only from one airport. They don’t meet you from another. So I played in Tokyo last night and it was impossible to fly in the evening. So I need to fly the next day at 10am. I need to arrive earlier because tomorrow I have to play. Honestly, I’m exhausted. The game of tennis itself is the simplest thing we do. Everything else is just completely bull***t.” Daria Kasatkina said via Zabiiako & Kasatkina YouTube channel
“I can’t travel anymore. I can’t pack my things in these planes, moving and When you can’t communicate with people from different countries, constantly changing beds, constantly packing and unpacking bags every week, I just can’t do it anymore. My body is just telling me to f*ck off already. For the 3rd time in a month and a half I have a sore throat and in general my condition is incomprehensible. In terms of life logistics, there is no worse sport in the whole world. It’s just complete bullsh*t,” Kasatkina concluded.
After losing in three tournaments in the Asia swing, Daria Kasatkina is likely to be over as she hasn’t qualified for the WTA Finals.
