US Open star ‘utilizing event to advertise her YouTube channel’

Daria Kasatkina’s US Open dream may be over for one more 12 months, however it appears that evidently the Russian has different profession targets exterior of the tennis court docket to maintain her targeted. The world No 14 noticed her Grand Slam hopes ended on Monday night after No 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka demonstrated her championship credentials with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory.

Kasatkina has beforehand reached the semi-finals of the French Open and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon however has not but progressed past the fourth spherical at Flushing Meadows.

The 26-year-old can have been all too conscious of the daunting prospect of attempting to defeat the highly-fancied Belarusian and appeared intent on taking the stress off herself earlier than her match.

Speaking to an ESPN reporter forward of her spherical of 16 conflict with Sabalenka, Kasatkina unusually took the chance to push her personal YouTube channel.

When requested how she was making ready for an evening match, she stated: “Well honestly, we spent the whole day yesterday thinking how to promote my YouTube channel and I think this is it. Guys, subscribe. Just search my surname on YouTube and you’ll find it.

“And in case the match is just not going to be fascinating you’ll be able to all the time watch the YouTube.”

Kasatkina runs a YouTube channel that follows her life on the WTA Tour. The channel is run alongside her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, who is a successful Russian-Estonian figure skater.

Kasatkina confirmed her sexuality in 2022 in an interview, when she also revealed her relationship with Zabiiako. Before long, photos of the couple emerged on Instagram before they decided to set up their own joint YouTube channel.

The channel has been running since October last year and currently has over 21,000 subscribers, with 82 videos published so far. Kasatkina has not won any titles on tour so far this season but has still banked around £860,000 in prize money.

It is a different story for her US Open conqueror Sabalenka however. The 25-year-old’s straight-sets victory against Kasatkina will take her to the top of the world rankings next week.

That was assured when current world No 1 Iga Swiatek was dumped out of the tournament by Jelena Ostapenko, losing 6-3, 3-6, 1-6 in the fourth round.

Sabalenka admitted to being surprised by the result and even expressed some disappointment that she now cannot face the Pole in the final.

Speaking on court after her victory against Kasatkina, Sabalenka said: “I had little question she’d (Swiatek) make it to the ultimate. It solely trusted me if I used to be going to make it. I wished to have this battle and determine every part on court docket. I used to be unhappy that she misplaced.

“But it means a lot to me, all year I’ve been pushing myself to reach this goal, to become world No. 1. It means a lot to me and my family, it’s just unbelievable. It’s something crazy, I still can’t believe it.”