Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina took Australian citizenship. This came after she publicly condemned Russia's anti-LGBTQ+ laws and the war in Ukraine.
Kasatkina currently lives in Dubai and hasn't been to Russia in two and a half years. Last week, Australia accepted the 27-year-old Kasatkina's application for permanent residency, so she will represent the country for the first time at this week's tournament in Charleston.
"This is my first official day as an Australian tennis player. Honestly, it feels different, I'm not going to lie. I'm emotional. I have to get used to it. But I'm really happy to start a new page in my life, representing Australia on the big stage," Kasatkina said.
In 2022, before leaving Russia, Kasatkina revealed she was a lesbian.
After the video interview in which she condemned the war in Ukraine, a Russian politician demanded that Kasatkina be declared a foreign agent working against Russia's interests.
"Considering everything that is happening in my former homeland, I had no choice but to change my citizenship. Since I am a lesbian and I say it publicly, if I want to be myself, I have to take this step and I did. I have to get used to it because I haven't heard anything in the last few years and it's good to get used to it," said Kasatkina, who is currently ranked 12th on the WTA list. I BGNES
