Russian tennis star ‘scared’ about Ukraine conflict as she returns to UK after ban

Daria Kasatkina has mentioned the state of affairs in her house nation of Russia after she made her return to the UK. Russians had been banned from British grass-court tournaments final yr and the world No 11 acquired off to a successful begin in Eastbourne on Monday. Kasatkina admitted she would not see an finish to the conflict with Ukraine anytime quickly and that she was left scared for her associates once they had been caught up on this weekend’s 24-hour mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner group.

Kasatkina has been one of the outspoken Russian tennis gamers all through the continuing conflict in Ukraine. The 26-year-old has continued to sentence her nation’s actions and has been respecting her Ukrainian opponents’ needs to not shake arms after matches.

After Russians had been banned from final yr’s British tennis tournaments, she made a successful return in Eastbourne on Monday in opposition to Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina. “I’m really glad to be back and to have this opportunity to play the tournaments, and Wimbledon included,” Kasatkina mentioned after her 6-3 6-1 victory.

But the world No 11 admitted that issues had been robust as she got here to the event simply days after a Russian mercenary group tried a coup and began advancing on Moscow earlier than retreating. Kasatkina mentioned: “Feels s**t, honestly.

“I’m not gonna hide it. It’s tough to, you know, to face the circumstances for such a long time already. Unfortunately, as we see, particularly me or like tennis players, nothing we can do about it, so we have to just follow what’s going on. You know, me personally, I’m just trying to be a good human in this scenario. That’s all I can do. And do my job as playing tennis. That’s it.” 

While Kasatkina is at present based mostly in Dubai, her family members are nonetheless at house in Russia and a few of her associates dwell in Voronezh – the place Wagner fighters moved by way of en path to Moscow. It left the 26-year-old in concern for her associates as she tried to maneuver them to her previous metropolis to get away.

“Well, yeah, of course I have friends in Russia. My family, my parents are still in Russia. Well, as you can see, the last few days it’s been a big mess also there,” she added. “Of course I’m worried. I’m worried for my friends, because my best friends, they actually live in Voronezh, where was one of the biggest, you know, few days ago, there was – sorry not know in English how to say these words.

She continued: “Yeah, we just, I mean, obviously their experience, Ukrainians, they are experiencing way worse situation, but also, I mean, I can feel the same. I’m very worried for the people I love. 

“Yeah, it is what it is. Unfortunately we have to live in this scenario now. This is the part of our lives. Yeah, it’s been a tough year, and we don’t know how long it’s going to be. Yeah, we have to just follow the news. Honestly, so far I don’t see the end. We have to just accept.”