Women's tennis in Russia for the last two to three years has lacked new names. All achievements were associated with already experienced athletes. Finally, Daria Kasatkina appeared - a new hope for Russian tennis.
Childhood, first steps in sports
Very often, future tennis stars are born in sports families, where, under the guidance of their parents, they are systematically moving towards success. Daria was born into an ordinary Samara family. My father worked at the VAZ, my mother was engaged in the house. In the spring of 1997, no one thought that a new tennis star was born.
Dasha was lucky with the first coach. From the age of six, she studied with Damir Nurgaliev, one of the best coaches in the Samara region. From childhood, she was distinguished by her iron character and her will to win. Dasha's favorite sites are unpaved.
Junior level
The highlight of her youthful career was the fourth category ITF tournament in her hometown. At the age of 14, Daria for the first time had the chance to make herself known at the open Samara Cup. At these competitions, she beat the best young tennis players from Moscow without any options.
After that they paid attention to her. Immediately began to receive offers to participate in major international tournaments from Russia.
Playing outside the homeland, Daria Kasatkina earns her name in world junior tennis. She performs well in Grand Slam tournaments for her age category. “Wimbledon”, “Roland Garos” - at these tournaments the Samara athlete earns a name for herself. Finally, at 17, tennis player Daria Kasatkina beat Serbian Ivan Yorovich in the finals of the French Open.
Professional career
The transition to the adult level is not easy for almost all athletes. Accustomed to winning victories in junior tournaments, it is not easy to earn a reputation again by playing with experienced rivals. I had to experience bitterness from the first offensive defeats and Daria.
At the first adult tournament in Marakesh, Dasha is inferior to the Spanish athlete and does not qualify for the second round. Competitions in Bad Gastein were more successful.
There she reaches the semifinals, where in a bitter struggle loses to the more experienced
Sarah Errani. The defeat was doubly offensive due to a series of unforced errors by the Russian tennis player.
But Daria Kasatkina did not give up, and the first success came to her in 2015. In Sharm El Sheikh, she takes her first trophy on a professional level. Coaches of the team do not leave unnoticed progress Kasatkina. An honorary invitation to the Russian team for the matches of the Federation Cup follows.
Daria Kasatkina makes her successful debut at the US Open. 1/8 finals - a good result for a young tennis player. This time, the more experienced Kristina Mladenovich was able to stop her.
Now Daria Kasatkina is only 19 years old. Most importantly, the level of her game does not stand still. The progress of the athlete is obvious, and all her fans, holding their breath, expect new victories from her.