Daria Kasatkina subjected to online abuse after major Russia to Australia switch announcement

Russian-born tennis player Daria Kasatkina recently announced that she has been granted permanent residency in Australia and will represent the country globally. However, the update was subsequently met with a lot of negative comments on social media.

Kasatkina shared an Instagram post on Friday, March 28, and announced that the Australian Government had accepted her application for permanent residency. The 27-year-old also confirmed that she was looking forward to living in Melbourne and that she is proud to represent the nation in tournaments.

"I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government. Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home," Kasatkina wrote.

"I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards," she added.

Kasatkina has a complicated relationship with her birth nation as being queer, she has criticized the country's LGBTQ+ stance as well as their ongoing political crisis with Ukraine. Her decision to switch nationalities led to a flood of hateful comments on social media directed at the World No. 12, which were later shared online.

Daria Kasatkina is already getting scary death threats and countless hateful attacks in the 'What The Vlog' comment section and on other platforms... The online abuse and hate of WTA players is getting out of hand! byu/Hyperballadatopos intennis

Kasatkina's former compatriot, Mirra Andreeva, faced an equally concerning ordeal after her elimination from the Miami Open a few days ago.

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"Free to be who you are in a wonderful country"; Chris Evert came in support of Daria Kasatkina following her recent move

Daria Kasatkina at 2023 French Open - Image Source: Getty

American tennis legend Chris Evert recently supported Daria Kasatkina's decision to switch her nationality. The 18-time Grand Slam champion reacted to the news by stating that the 27-year-old could now fully embrace her true self.

"This is heartwarming to hear! Free to be who you are in a wonderful country ... So happy for you ❤️," Evert posted on X.

Australian tennis legend and Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs, along with Kasatkina's girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, were among those who had heartfelt reactions to her nationality change.

Zabiiako, an Estonian-Russian competitive pair skater, also received very little encouragement from the skating community after coming out. She revealed this during a Q&A session on Instagram earlier this month.