Russian tennis star Daria Kasatkina has spoken out about her personal life and various other topics in an extraordinarily wide ranging interview with sports.ru presenter Sonya Tartakova.

The world No.37 is one of the most decorated women on the Tour this season after winning titles in St Petersburg and Melbourne at the Phillip Island Trophy. Her win-loss for the year currently stands at 16-5. Kasatkina, who is a former top 10 player, has already cut her ranking in half since February. One of her coaches is Carlos Martinez who has recently spoken about his work with the Russian during an interview with UbiTennis.

After her successful start of 2021, Kasatkina spoke extensively about her life with Tartakova for an hour-long documentary. During one segment the two discussed sexuality and why there are more openly LGBT female players than male.

“It’s very hard for me to tell. In Russia things like that are met with huge negativity. Not just Russia, it is the same for the rest of the world,” said Kasatkina who is from a country which has laws banning so-called ‘gay propaganda.’
“Europeans are more tolerant. But the world still doesn’t accept homosexuality as much. I think many athletes are afraid. Afraid of backlash, of losing sponsorships. There could be many reasons.’
“But those who come out are doing it right. Why should they hide their true self?”

Tennis has a rich history when it comes to LGBT sports thanks to pioneers such as Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova who both came out during the 1980s. Nowadays the Tour has numerous openly gay players such as Sam Stosur, Alison Van Uytvanck, Greet minnen and Carla Saurez Navarro. However, on the men’s Tour there are currently no openly gay players and there has been few in the past. Former world No.57 Brian Vahaly came out after retirement.

Addressing her own personal life, 23-year-old Kasatkina is not labelling herself as she explores her own sexuality.

“Women know how to dangle the bait properly. Women know how other women work. (They) understand the others psychological needs,” she commented on the difference between genders in her view.

Pressed further in the interview about her personal life, the tennis star said she would consider having a same sex relationship if she finds somebody.

“I’m still learning myself. Both ways have their perks, so why not? yes I would,” she explained. “Girls in a relationship are connected with more understanding. There is a lot of misunderstanding between men and women. Women are more emotional and feel each other’s emotions better.”

For the moment, relationships remain a thing of discovery for Kasatkina. She hopes over the coming years she will work out what it is they she truly wants but it isn’t a guarantee. Instead she is going to take things as they come.

“I’d like to know better myself. Have a better understanding of my wishes. So it wouldn’t be, ‘Dasha, what do you want?” and I’m like “……..(silent)” She said.
“Naturally I want to know. Maybe I’ll never fully understand who I am and what I want. But at least I could myself little by little every day. Would be cool. Anyway, ask me in a few years and I’ll tell you..”

In 2020 the International Review for the Sociology of Sport published a study which found athletes developed greater happiness and self-confidence within their sport after coming out. Their findings were based on accounts of 60 different athletes from various sports which were published on outsports.com.

Ksaatkina’s sexuality was only a small extract in what was an extraordinary detailed interview. She also spoke at length about being tempted to retire from the sport in 2019, her weight and mental struggles on the Tour.

You can watch the video (which is in Russian but has English subtitles) below :-

Video breakdown (translated from Russian to English via google)

0:00 – Tizerim explosions of cars, the theme of revelry and sex with a rival
0:25 – We are in Togliatti. Sonya tells how scary it was there
1:10 – Dasha’s indecent tan
2:20 – Dasha, are you satisfied with your team?
2:30 – How much do you pay your coaches? Who is the dearest?
3:46 – Svetlana Kuznetsova was jealous of the coach towards you?
4:25 – Dasha in the gym
5:05 – What’s your ideal weight?
5:30 – “For life, Dasha looks overweight, but for tennis it’s cool” – how does it work?
6:40 – Enrages that in the comments they insult you because of being overweight?
7:55 – “Yes, I’m a kid, I love football, sneakers and bars”
8:48 – Dasha’s brother was a lawyer and became her professional physical training coach
11:03 – Dasha showed the fact to her brother at a tournament in America. How did you talk after the match?
12:19 – Parents sold the house for Dasha to play tennis
13:50 – Bandits who offered to protect the Kasatkin family
15:05 – Drugs [shit] in Togliatti 90s
17:00 – A story about a classmate who used
17:45 – “They used it in my presence. You walk down the street – and you see their glass eyes and pupil – to the point “
19:10 – Why did Dasha want to end her career at 22?
22:00 – Selfharm: I wanted to hurt myself, because nothing worked
24:10 – Does Dasha envy more successful tennis players of her age?
25:15 – “What happens to the second serve?” – “It ######”
27:50 – We are in Barcelona. Dasha tells where she lives and trains
30:01 – Are we buying an apartment?
30:37 – Nike abandoned Dasha and 14 other players. Why?
32:37 – How much money will be enough if you don’t play anymore?
35:30 – “If not for dad, mom and the sale of the house, would there be such a tennis player?” 36:15 – Tennis in Russia vs tennis in the USA. Comparing National Tennis Centers
38:35 – Relationship with a coach – how does it work?
40:20 – Suggestions in the directive: please drink water from the bathroom
41:20 – Attention from female tennis players
42:08 – Love, sex, loneliness in tennis. “Being alone is not scary”
43:15 – Same sex couples in women’s tennis
45:20 – What is the difference between attention from girls and men?
45:55 – Relationship with whom is more interesting for Dasha? “And there, and there are pluses” 47:10 – “I guess I’ll never know who I am 100%”
48:52 – When you are in front of Messi, what would you tell him?
49:10 – How Dasha played tennis with a Barcelona player
49:29 – Pyatyunya with Artem Dziuba (the same hand)
51:00 – Another memorable Friday – with Nadal
51:55 – “You can’t force a person to live your life.” Dasha’s mom explains how parents were able to let their children go so early
52:30 – “Child, are we bothering you a lot? For 5 thousand kilometers “
53:05 – From Togliatti to Moscow – Dasha with the cup!
55:30 – “There is such a state, then it is only death, it seems.” Dasha – about the most powerful celebration of victory