The 2026 Australian summer marks a special occasion in Daria Kasatkina’s career.
It will be her first time competing as an Australian on home soil, and on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down podcast, she shared her excitement about embarking on the latest chapter in her journey under the Australian flag.
“I can finally say it’s a fresh start and I’m ready to go completely,” the former world No.8 said. “I’m super proud to represent the country which accepted me so easily.”
After experiencing a rollercoaster year, Kasatkina ended her 2025 campaign early due to burnout. Despite experiencing wonderful moments such as getting engaged to her partner Natalia and switching nationalities to represent Australia, the 28-year-old felt it important to give herself extra time to regroup ahead of the new season.
“I feel good because I’m back to my good shape. I’m on court playing. Honestly, it feels good,” she explained. “I can’t wait to get back on the tennis court to experience the support from the crowd.”
PODCAST: Listen to Daria Kasatkina on The Sit-Down
Kasatkina is set to play her first tournament of the Australian summer in Brisbane, where her best result was a quarterfinal run in 2024.
“Australia has such a good spot in the calendar. It’s the first swing of the year. Everyone is fresh, happy, you know, unbelievable place. Of course, I am super happy,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to it and let’s see how this next month is going to be. I’m sure it’s going to be great.”
Having peaked at No.9 this year, Kasatkina has fairly consistently maintained her place near the top of the constantly evolving women’s game. Having spent more than 10 years on the professional tour, the 2022 Roland Garros semifinalist understands how crucial it is to adjust to these changes.
“Tennis became more physical where I think the girls became stronger. Everyone is hitting so hard. Honestly, I feel like I don’t have a margin for a bad shot in the rally,” she revealed.
“I feel that I have to work more and more. Sometimes there were matches where I would win doing pretty simple things. Now it’s not going to work. Every match is like a super tough battle.
“The main difference now and back then is that before it was styles of playing like the girls who would be super aggressive, most probably would struggle in defence and the opposite, like the girls who would defend very good, they would struggle in offence.
“Now it’s all combined, so the girls have really improved their weaknesses”.
Kastakina will be putting her signature crafty style of play on display in her new home of Melbourne as she looks to better her maiden AO fourth-round appearance from 2025.
“I had great memories last time. First time I reached the second week of the Australian Open. It’s something I couldn’t make for a long time, and I was really happy to achieve it last year,” she said.
“Let’s see what 2026 will bring on the table.”
Although lifting a Grand Slam trophy will always be a goal, Kasatkina has added another to her 2026 wish list.
“I think my goal will be to finish the 2026 season with the smile on my face,” she said.
Listen to the full episode of The Sit-Down, a weekly podcast released each Monday featuring an in-depth interview with a notable tennis identity. Subscribe to The Sit-Down in your favourite podcast player.