Daria Kasatkina Switches Allegiance to Australia After Gaining Permanent Residency

Daria Kasatkina Switches Allegiance to Australia

Russian-born tennis star Daria Kasatkina has announced her decision to switch allegiances to Australia after her application for permanent residency was accepted by the government. The world number 12 has been playing on the tour as a neutral athlete since Russian and Belarusian players were banned from competing under their own flags following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In an Instagram post, Kasatkina expressed her joy in gaining permanent residency in Australia. "I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian government," she wrote. "Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home."

Kasatkina further stated her love for Melbourne and her excitement to make her home there. "As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards," she declared.

The 27-year-old has achieved a career-high ranking of number eight in the world and has won eight WTA titles. Her best grand slam result came at the French Open in 2022, where she reached the semi-finals.