‘Fully Australian’ Daria Kasatkina ready to embrace home expectations at Melbourne Park

January 18, 2026 12:45 PM

‘Fully Australian’ Daria Kasatkina ready to embrace home expectations at Melbourne Park

Russian-born Daria Kasatkina said she is ready to embrace the "good pressure" of a home Grand Slam when she steps onto the Melbourne Park court as an Australian citizen for the first time. The 28-year-old played on the tour as a neutral athlete after Russian players were banned from competing under their own flag following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Having found herself thrust into the political spotlight, Kasatkina became one of the few Russian-born players to publicly criticise th...

Osaka shines to set up U.S. Open last-16 clash with Gauff

August 31, 2025 9:31 PM

Osaka shines to set up U.S. Open last-16 clash with Gauff

Four-times major champion Naomi Osaka powered into the U.S. Open fourth round on Saturday with a 6-0 4-6 6-3 win over 15th seed Daria Kasatkina to continue her best Grand Slam run since 2021. Osaka lit up Louis Armstrong Stadium in broad daylight, turning her third-round clash into a showcase of power and composure. The Japanese player dominated early, absorbed a brief second-set wobble, and closed out the win to set up a fourth-round showdown with American third seed Coco Gauff. "Honestly, I...