Russian-born Daria Kasatkina said she is ready to embrace the “good pressure” of a home Grand Slam when she steps onto the Melbourne Park court as an Australian citizen for the first time.

The 28-year-old played on the tour as a neutral athlete after Russian players were banned from competing under their own flag following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Having found herself thrust into the political spotlight, Kasatkina became one of the few Russian-born players to publicly criticise the war, before a pathway to permanent residency in Australia opened up last March.

Kasatkina, who has not returned to Russia since coming out as gay in 2022, posted on social media on Saturday that she had been officially confirmed as a full citizen and can expect a warm reception from local fans at the year’s opening Grand Slam which begins on Sunday.

“This is good pressure, so I’d choose this compared to what I’ve been through in the past couple of years,” Kasatkina told reporters on Saturday.

“For the first time I’m going to play in front of such a big home crowd, so that’s going to be special. I have to manage my nerves, because I’ve never been in this situation before.

“But I’m super proud and it’s an extremely positive change. The whole of last year has been a year of transition, which brought me to where I am right now.”

Kasatkina, who at world number 48 is the Australian number two behind 32nd-ranked Maya Joint, said being a citizen meant more than just holding a new passport.

“It’s about acceptance. Because honestly, the whole process, the support from the people, from other citizens, it’s been amazing,” Kasatkina added.

“I couldn’t imagine that, coming from a completely different background to receiving this amount of support from strangers, I felt so much love. From last year, but now that I’m fully Australian, I’m proud and grateful. That’s a responsibility, but that’s what I was looking for.”

After ending her season in October citing the strain of a heavy tour schedule and emotional stress, Kasatkina said she was in a better place mentally.

“That’s the most important thing, because the end of last year was tough. I was trying to get out of this hole,” the former world number eight added.

“I’m happy with the progress I have made, and now it’s just about competing well, which is what I was looking for. Now I can just talk about tennis, and that’s the most important thing.”

Kasatkina, who reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park last year, faces Czech Nikola Bartunkova in her opening match.

Grateful Williams

Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams thanked Australian Open organisers on Saturday for giving her a wildcard that will see the 45-year-old American become the oldest woman ever to compete in the singles main draw.

Williams returned to tennis last season after a 16-month break, winning one of her four tour-level matches before starting 2026 with a first-round defeat by 53rd-ranked Pole Magda Linette as a wildcard at the Auckland Classic last week.

Granted another wildcard for the Hobart International, world number 576 Williams was also eliminated in the first round against 38-year-old German Tatjana Maria, a match featuring players with the highest combined age in WTA history.

“It’s been five years since I have been here. They flew by, and I’m super, super grateful for the opportunity from Tennis Australia,” Williams told reporters at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

“Grateful for the opportunity to play in front of the fans. I have just received so much support in the tournaments leading up, walking around the city and everything. My hope is to play my best.”

The allocation of discretionary wildcards has stoked debate at the Australian Open, with home player Nick Kyrgios in the spotlight before his decision to pull out of the men’s singles.

Though a huge drawcard at his home Grand Slam, Kyrgios played only four completed singles matches last season and is ranked outside the top 600.