"I also want to know why it's taking this long, but don't have an answer" - Daria Kasatkina on delay in release of WTA calendar
Daria Kasatkina safely made her way through to the third round of the French Open 2023 on Wednesday, ousting Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets. The result is particularly significant for Kasatkina, who is defending a host of points from her 2022 semifinal showing in Paris.
The Russian, who is currently just inside the top 10 of WTA rankings, had a hugely successful 2022 season. She is also hoping to defend her title in Silicon Valley later this year.
In that context, the lack of information on the WTA calendar for the second half of the season has Kasatkina baffled. Responding to a query about that during her post-match press conference, Kasatkina said she wasn't even sure if they were hosting the Mubadala Classic in Silicon Valley this year.
"Whether it's going to be host, I don't know. We don't know. We don't have a calendar. No. Unfortunately, no. We're still waiting for the calendar for the second part of the season," Daria Kasatkina said.
The World No. 9 went on to say she was as curious as everybody else to find out the reason behind the delay, and that she did not have any answers.
"No idea," she continued. "Yeah, I also want to know why it's taking that long, but we don't have an answer."
The WTA tour will return to China in 2023 after having suspended operations in the country amid the controversy surrounding the disappearance of former doubles No. 1 Peng Shuai in 2021. The schedule of tournaments, however, remains unclear at this point.
"It's still pressure" - Daria Kasatkina on defending French Open points
During her press conference, Daria Kasatkina also spoke about feeling the pressure of having to defend the points earned during her semifinal run at the French Open last year.
The Russian said her showing from 2022 did not give her any "advantage," and that she was focusing on taking things as they come.
"Well, to be honest, the success of last year is not giving me any advantage," Daria Kasatkina said. "I would say maybe opposite because it's pressure any way I want it or I don't want it. It's still pressure, so I'm trying to deal with that. For the moment I'm successful and just want to keep going that way."
Kasatkina could well drop out of the top 10 if she fails to defend the 720 points earned at the French Open last year. She takes on America's Peyton Stearns in the third round.