“Then they accuse us of losing the tennis match. [turn the comments] off.
“But still, even if you do… a message or two will still haunt you.
“At the end of the day, if you want to cut it off completely, you have to forget about social media…don’t use it.
“And why. [do] I have to cut things off just for other people… I’m not happy with how I’m doing [the] tennis court?
“We don’t have a strong mechanism to prevent this yet, but I sincerely hope so with AI.” [artificial intelligence] and things like that, I think there’s a way to avoid that kind of abuse on the Internet, especially after you’re down 7-6 in the third.”
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Kasatkina has had several turbulent years. She went public with her relationship with figure skater Natalia Zabiiako four years ago and later revealed how relieved she was to finally be able to speak freely about issues such as LGBTQ rights.
Kasatkina sensationally switched allegiance to Australia last March after her application for permanent residence was accepted by the federal government.
Tennis Australia, including chief Craig Tiley, supplied her with a letter supporting the application “for people who have internationally recognized records of exceptional and extraordinary achievement in an eligible field”, which includes sport.
After playing at the Australian Open for more than a decade – first representing Russia and more recently competing as an “independent” under the requirements for Russian and Belarusian players amid the war in Ukraine – Kasatkina is overwhelmed by the thought of playing her first major as an Australian at Melbourne Park.
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“[It’s] a really special chapter in my life,” the world number 48 said just moments after posting a photo on Instagram showing the final step towards becoming an Australian.
“Yes, I will try to enjoy it as much as possible.
Kasatkina has had mixed results so far in the Australian summer, losing in the first round at the Brisbane International before reaching the round of 16 at the Adelaide International.
But after reaching the fourth round of the AO last year, Kasatkina is quietly confident heading into a rushed slam and is happy with where her game is.
“Definitely in a better place than it was like most of last year, honestly,” she said.
“Also, but most importantly, mentally I’m much, much better.”
“That’s the most important thing because… especially at the end of last year, last season was very, very difficult. You know, basically I was trying to get out of this… hole. It’s never easy.”
Kasatkina, who went on to pursue her citizenship, which will allow her to immediately wear the “green and gold” and represent Australia in the team competition, said: “Honestly, I can’t even describe how much it means because it’s not just about the passport.
“It’s about acceptance, let’s say. Because honestly … the support from people, from other citizens, I mean, it’s been amazing.”
“I couldn’t imagine coming from a completely different background to get that kind of support, basically from strangers.”
“I felt so much love.
“Now that I’m fully Australian, I’m just super proud and grateful. I mean, it’s a responsibility, but that’s what I was looking for.
“I’m really grateful… I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay the same amount that this country has given me.”
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