Upon learning that Aryna Sabalenka would be her opponent in the 2024 Berlin Open second round, Daria Kasatkina responded hilariously. Kastakina overcame Marta Kostyuk in the first round.
Kasatkina, the Russian, had a tough start to her grass season. Kostyuk won the first set, 6-4, before Kasatkina clinched a tight second set, 7-6(6). The two players were engaged in a tough battle in the third set, but it was Kasatkina who ended up on the right side of the result, winning the set 6-3. She will now take on World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the second round.
Sabalenka, known for her powerful groundstrokes and aggressive game style, is a formidable opponent that many players do not want to face. The Belarusian made it to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 and 2023, demonstrating her strength as a grass court player.
Kasatkina came up with a hilarious reaction upon discovering that she would face Sabalenka in the second round of the Berlin Open.
"Sh*t," Kasatkina said upon dicovering her second round opponent.
Watch the video below:
Sabalenka is coming from a great clay swing, having reached the finals of both the Madrid Open and Italian Open. She lost to Iga Swiatek on both occasions. She also advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she was defeated by Mirra Andreeva. Throughout this time, she experienced health problems.
Aryna Sabalenka to skip Paris Olympics
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Aryna Sabalenka has decided to ditch the Olympics owing to the rigorous schedule of the WTA Tour. She said in a pre-tournament press conference for the 2024 Berlin Open, that she has to sacrifice something to be able to keep up with the tour. As such, she will be sacrificing the Olympics.
"Well, I’m not going to play Olympics because of all the rules from the WTA with mandatory tournaments. So, I have to sacrifice something and unfortunately, I have to sacrifice the Olympics at this stage of my career," she said.
The Belarusian also mentioned that she had to take the tough call in order to prioritize her health because she has been dealing with a number of health issues.
"And especially with all the struggles… I’ve been struggling last months; I feel like I need to take care of my health. But that’s so tricky. I mean, it’s too much for the scheduling, and it’s just too much. And I made the decision to take care of my health," she added.