Daria Kasatkina discussed the topic in an intimate YouTube interview
Daria Kasatkina said there were still many taboos in Russia. © Alexander Scheuber / Getty Images
Russian women’s tennis number one Daria Kasatkina has revealed she is in a gay relationship as she discussed her sexuality in a wide-ranging YouTube interview.
Speaking to blogger Vitya Kravchenko in Spain, Kasatkina was asked about Russian female footballer Nadezhda Karpova, who confirmed she was gay in a recent interview with the BBC.
Kasatkina, 25, said the news had been inspirational before discussing her own sexuality.
“I’m a little nervous, because I’ve never been so open on camera,” said Kasatkina, adding “but in general, I’m pretty cool.”
Kasatkina replied “yes” when asked if she had a girlfriend, before describing how the news might go down back in Russia.
“There are so many taboo topics in our country. And there are more important topics that are forbidden, so there is nothing to be surprised at,” she said.
“There’s this phrase, ‘if you want to be gay’. If you want to or not, if you become it or not. What kind of nonsense is this?
“Really, it seems to me there’s nothing easier in the world than to be straight. Given a choice, who would choose to be gay and make life difficult for yourself? Seriously. Especially in Russia.”
When asked when she thought holding hands for a gay couple would become possible in Russia, Kasatkina replied: “Never. Well, judging by the way things are going, never.
“We had some tendencies not so long ago – approximately when the [2018 football] World Cup was. Then, ‘the road’s closed for repairs.’”
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“Living in the closet, as they say, for a long time is difficult and doesn’t make sense. It will be stuck in your head until you say it,” Kasatkina added.
“It is clear that everyone chooses how to open up and how much. You have to be comfortable with yourself, that’s the most important thing.”
Reports had already suggested that Kasatkina was bisexual based on an interview she gave last year in which she said she would have a relationship with a woman.
Kasatkina is currently the Russian women’s number one and is ranked number 12 in the world.
She has four WTA singles titles to her name and has racked up more than $8.5 million in career prize money.
