Daria Kasatkina opens up about how girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako's vlogs are helping her deal with pressure
Daria Kasatkina has recently taken up vlogging, with her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako "taking it very seriously."
Kasatkina revealed in 2022 that she is dating figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, and the pair have been posting parts of their lives on social media platforms ever since.
Kasatkina and Zabiiako have their own YouTube channel called Zabiiako & Kasatkina, where they post vlog-type content from the tournaments that the Russian plays in.
After her emphatic win in the third round of the 2023 French Open against Peyton Stearns, 6-0, 6-1, Kasatkina was asked about her thoughts on the vlogs.
"Well, good question. For me, it's more fun. This is how I get away a little bit from the pressure thinking about the matches and everything, so I'm taking it as a little bit of not distraction; distraction in a good way. Like a little bit of an art thing," Kasatkina said.
The World No. 9 praised her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako for her commitment to the vlogs, revealing that she is responsible for all the editing needs.
"Natalia is taking it very serious. She's really editing music, cutting everything, trying to implement new things always to see if it's the problem with the sound or with the picture. Like, she's really taking a lot of care," Kasatkina added.
Daria Kasatkina continued, explaining that the focus of the vlogs is to bring the fans what they don't see in matches.
"All these parts are always behind the scenes. Nobody knows about it. 95% of the fans, they see us as tennis players on the tennis court, and they don't know who we are outside of the court and how we live, and what's going on, actually, behind the doors, behind the tennis court doors."
During the press conference, an official invitation for Amelie Mauresmo to come to the vlog was also extended by the 26-year-old.
"We like to do these things, especially the feedback from the people, from the fans, it looks good. They like it. We're going to try to do more and more to implement maybe, I was thinking to maybe interview some of the chair umpires because it's going to be very interesting."
"I was thinking to talk with Amelie Mauresmo here. So, Amelie, if you are listening to this, maybe we can arrange something. It's going to be fun", Kasatkina concluded.
Daria Kasatkina to play against Elina Svitolina or Anna Blinkova in the fourth round of the 2023 French Open
After a convincing win over Peyton Stearns in the third round of the 2023 French Open, Daria Kasatkina will play either Elina Svitolina or Anna Blinkova in the fourth round.
Kasatkina hasn't had any trouble in the first three rounds of the tournament. In the first round, she beat Jule Niemeier, 6-3, 6-4, and in the second round, she dispatched Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 6-4.
History says she will be cheering for Blinkova, as she has a 0-6 head-to-head record against Svitolina, while never having played against her compatriot Blinkova previously.