WTA: Courageous Daria Kasatkina coming out and criticizing Russia
Russia's best tennis player Daria Kasatkina shows great courage with her coming out and clear statements about the war in Ukraine.
by SID
last edit: Jul 19, 2022, 07:51 pm
When the conversation ended full of courage, vulnerability, tears and impressive strength, Daija Kasatkina, moved, fell into her interviewer's arms. "You asked me so many good questions," the top Russian tennis player told YouTuber Vitia Kravchenko. But it was the 25-year-old world number 12 herself who caused a sensation with her coming out and clear statements about her home country's war of aggression.
"Living at peace with yourself is the only thing that counts," said Kasatkina in the video, which is not only perceived in the tennis scene: "Locking yourself in is pointless." Yes, she has a friend with whom she happily presented herself on Instagram on Monday evening.
Petkovic also impressed
In times when Russia's President Vladimir Putin railed against his opponents with martial rhetoric and continued the bloody offensive in Ukraine undeterred, the French Open semi-finalist, who trains in Spain, shows with an openness that is not self-evident that she agrees with the views of the political leaders of her can do little at home.
Kasatkina also impressed Andrea Petkovic. "I found it incredibly brave and also incredibly cool, as she says to herself in the video. As if it were the most normal thing in the world. But that's not it if you're Russian and live in Russia," said the German Number two in Hamburg: "I saw it, I celebrated it and will continue to celebrate it."
Complete "Absolute Nightmare".
Kasatkina criticized the prevailing homophobia in Russia and regretted that the topic was "banned" in her country. Being gay makes life "especially in Russia" more difficult. Russian LGBT people often face hostility and violence. Homosexuality was considered a crime in Russia until 1993 and a mental illness until 1999.
Kasatkina, who failed in the first round as the second-seeded player at Hamburg's Rothenbaum, also made a clear statement about what was happening in the Ukraine that her greatest wish was "that the war ends". She added that if she could make even the smallest contribution, she would do anything to end the "absolute nightmare".