Daria Kasatkina - Australia, family, the point of life and lot of tennis

Transcript

U haven’t given big interviews for such a long time. A lot of interesting things have happened since then. Today we will discuss everything. Actually, I think we haven’t seen each other for ages. Well, tell me, what are your hopes for the clay court season? Well, it’s hard to say. In general, I like clay. I love that season because it’s always in Europe. And I love Europe. It’s actually my favorite place. Speaking about European tournaments, the preparation has actually already begun in Miami. I played the first tournament Charleston Open on green gray. Which is not quite correct. Yet I like it, it’s cool. But you’re playing well there. But this is also, in fact, something in between clay and hard, the transition this way is more smooth. And, in general, the preparation was good. Actually. I liked it today. When I got back from Charleston, I got sick. The preparation has stalled a bit. But now I’m back on track again, and I’m flying to Madrid soon. Listen, why do you think you are good on clay?Maybe your coach gave you such a technique in childhood that you feel comfortable playing on it? Who was this genius, and what do you think about it? A genius? I wouldn’t say so. In fact, in Russia, there are not so many clay courts in general. I meant the same, yes. But in general, my technique is suitable, I mean, I have a lot of rotation. A right kick, but footwork too. It’s kind of my very important part of the game. It’s difficult for me without good footwork. It’s not just you. But it’s crucial for me. So, for example, can Petra Kvitova let herself less of it? She can. Still, sometimes, maybe, it’s better to be a little slower. I can not allow that to myself. I immediately become uncompetitive. Well, clay, actually, in Tolyatti we had three clay courts, maybe for the whole city, yes, about that. And three of them were at the tennis center, where I trained all my youth. Actually, I don’t know, I can’t explain why this happened. This is absolutely strange, I understand that. But I like clay, and my game feets it better. I have watched Rafa Nadal's matches a lot. Naturally. And maybe, you know, I picked up something purely on my subconscious. And that’s why it happened. You said that the chance of becoming a professional tennis player is very low. However, as many as three professional tennis players have grown up from your region. You, Pavlyuchenkova, are Shnaider. How did it happen? A miracle? Well, really, I do not know how, for example, we actually have in Tolyatti. When I started, there were three such good tennis clubs. The club that I trained in was a sports school and a tennis center. There are actually very good conditions for practicing tennis. There are eight indoor courts, three outdoor courts, and, in my opinion, five outdoor hard courts. It’s a good place to train. If we talk about Tolyatti, it is still not such a miracle. If we talk about Zhigulievsk, it starts to become more interesting. Well, tell me, have you been there? Diana Schneider is from Zhigulievsk, yes. I was in Zhigulievsk only at the train station. All trains depart from there to Moscow. That’s why I haven’t been to Zhigulievsk itself. As for Samara, where is Nastya from? Well, Nastya is doing great too. That’s the talent, actually, he’ll break through. You are like plants growing from cracks of a wall. Yes. In general, this is a well known success story in Russia, not only in tennis, but in general, I’m talking about all kinds of sports here, right? Somehow, champions and good athletes find their way all the time anyway. And that, of course, is a good thing. But it would be better if there were, of course, better conditions for this. What is missing? Yes, a lot of things are missing. Let’s list, for example, tennis courts. What else? The coaches? Maybe I would recommend watching just one sports channel on Vitya Kravchenko’s YouTube. And all the questions will disappear after that. What do we lack in tennis or in tennis and other sports? There is a lot missing. Sometimes it is simply not enough. There just aren’t enough volleyballs. Just places to exercise. There aren’t enough people who, well, there aren’t enough coaches, there aren’t enough specialists, there isn't enough equipment. Generally, there are athletes. Hello. We have a lot of athletes, but not very good conditions, of course, for their upbringing. Look, since you’ve grown up. We did. Since you’ve grown up, it means you can’t lose hope. After all, anything is possible. However, the role of children’s coaches. It seems to me that the level is, in general, quite good. Because by looking at the children, we see that there are no issues, and with the rating either. The problems start after? Do you agree or disagree? Well, yes, I agree especially. Well, for 12-14 years we always have, especially for girls, it’s just a storehouse of talents. We all win the European Team Championships in summer, winter, and in singles. We always have kids who perform very well, and they win, and it’s great but what happens next is not so great. The so called selection. It’s also normal that someone makes their way further, and for some it doesn’t work out. Someone’s finishing their careers young. That is, in fact, normal. But in tennis, in fact, not everything is so bad in Russian tennis. I don’t know how it is, but it’s true. Especially lately. Girls, we have a steady stream of aspiring players- girls like that. Of course, it’s great. I can’t say anything about the boys, however. I’ve never heard of any young upcoming boys. Of course, we all know who the girls are. How come it always depends on the enthusiasm of the parents. I remembered how enthusiastic the parents were, because our parents are all aspiring, they are ready to tear up their last shirt for their child and sell it. If only the child would go to some kind of competition and continue to practice this sport. In fact, it seems to me that our whole sport depends on our parents. How old were you when you left your parents’ house and went abroad to train? I think I was 15 or 16 years old. I went to Slovakia to train. It’s not too early or too late. It seems to me that such a good age is enough. Well, of course, it’s difficult, of course, to leave, it needs to be done. Naturally, this is separation, in general, in life, not only if we take tennis, this is a normal stage - separation. It needs to be done. But, of course, it’s difficult there when you’re 15-16 years old, to leave your hometown in general for an unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar country for another and, in fact, practically nowhere, not knowing what awaits you there, what the future will be, whether anything will turn out in the end. So yes, it’s difficult, but. This is the fate of most tennis players in Russia. Almost everyone leaves at some point. I remember Marat Safin saying that it was very psychologically stressful for him to leave, even though he was a boy. It would seem that it might be easier for the boy, but he, you know, an interesting thought, said that some kind of psychological strain is needed in order to become a good athlete. He had this mental breakdown when he was torn away from home, just like you, he went to train in Spain. Ты тоже так считаешь? Мне кажется, это очень индивидуально. 100% Чтобы в профессиональном спорте чего то добиться, нужно многим пожертвовать и очень многое поставить на кон. Это 100%. И без этого мне кажется, невозможно. Но конкретно, если мы возьмем, что нужно уезжать из дома, это кому то приходится делать, кому то не приходится делать большинство, например, европейцев. Этого не приходится делать нам в силу того, что просто удобнее переехать и тренироваться там, где тепло, там, где удобнее логистика. Do you think so too? I think it’s very individual. 100%. In order to achieve something in professional sports, you need to sacrifice a lot and put a lot on the line. This is for 100%. And I think it’s impossible without it. But specifically, if we take that it is necessary to leave home, someone has to do it, someone does not have to do it, for example, the Europeans. We have to do this because it’s just more convenient to move and train where it’s warm, where the question of logistics is taken care of. You relocate, and you have, in fact, one chance, and whether you use it or not depends solely on you. And it’s really difficult to go through. You are still very young being 15-16 years old, and you’re already making such an important decision, such a big step. And, of course, it can break you down, but at the same time it can harden your character and, of course, if you still, if you’ve managed to get through it, to overpower yourself, then, of course, it’s a lot of training. This creates a very strong character for a person in the future. How often did you come home? By the way, quite often at first. I do not know, I definitely came once or twice a month. Then, of course, the more tournaments I started playing, the less time I had to come back. And it was purely logistically inconvenient, because in Tolyatti. If there are direct flights to Moscow, then it is necessary to fly to Tolyatti on another flight. It always takes a whole day to travel home. So. And at some point it was really difficult and somehow it became less and less frequent. Then came COVID. With the advent of COVID, this has become almost impossible. Then a lot more things happened, and there was no way to get there. Did you know that this summer will be the anniversary of your first victory. Do you remember your match? It was in the summer. So, most likely, it was a tournament in Bucharest, or some kind of Bad Gastein. I remember playing three matches. Whom did you play with first? Sasha Krunich. Bravo, you’ve won the pop quiz. And the second one, I won, was Julia Görges. And I lost to Sara Errani, as I remember now. In my opinion, three six, six three, three six. The score was the same in three sets. Well, it doesn’t matter. But I remember that tournament, and it was never held again. Well, you even remember the score. You remember the details. It was a great tournament. Yes, I liked it. Again, when you come to these WTA tournaments for the first time, everything is new, everything is so exciting, memorable, and what happens remains in your memory. For the next couple of years, I don’t remember anything at all, honestly. Nothing at all. Well, somehow everything got mixed up in my memory. I don’t remember with whom I played. They ask me: “do you remember this match?” And I don’t. Do you feel the same way? Well, I remember my first match, because the emotions were so vivid. What kind of match is this? It was a match, they gave me a Wild card by the way, I don’t remember, in Hungary. I beat a girl in the qualification there, she ranked number 170 in the world ranking. And I had zero ranking so for me it was a blast! I called my coach and said that I beat number 170 here. Right, are there any sponsors knocking on our door? Any brand deals? I remember these old cell phones with small buttons. And we wrote letters on them. Old but gold. And we met, by the way, if you remember, in 2014. Oh, it was a long time ago, 11 years ago, yes. And you were just starting out then. Your rating was low. The Federation Cup was held. As I remember, for the first time you were invited. I was invited, yes. I was terrified. Yes, I remember that. I got the call, while in Tolyatti, sitting in the kitchen. Mom’s phone rings. I remember she was cooking something. Her phone rang and she was so annoyed. She answered: what do you want? She picks up the phone late and Nastya Myskina is on the line. And mom was like, oh, Anastasia, hello! Yes. And then Nastya told my mom that they were inviting me to the national team and to the Fed Cup match against Argentina in Sochi. That was that. And I was so shocked. All I could think was: my god, what should I wear? What should I do? It was very exciting. Lena, Katya and Vera Solovyova were on the team there with me. Yes, I remember, we came to Sochi. We stayed in Radisson Hotel Blue, I had my own room. I lived alone. I think, my god, this is something on the next level. Sochi park, we’ll be playing there. They laid three clay courts for us. Larisa Savchenko didn’t let us relax for a second. Everybody. I remember you too. You don’t have to look after me, I won’t let myself relax on my own. I’ve worked so hard, I’ve tried so hard. I was just squeezing all the juices out of myself. And in the end, when there was a chance to play singles, actually there was probably no chance. But for the doubles they haven’t decided who to pair me with yet. I remember they were choosing who would play with Katya. Me or Lera Solovyova had a bet, which I lost. I was very upset then. I immediately left all this beauty for Namangan. So, how was it? It’s such a contrast. We arrived in Namangan then and went to buy some pills from the stomachache. They were sold individually in the pharmacy. That’s how they took this packet with pills and using scissors cut the amount you needed. It was great. Yes, it was such a cool contrast. I kind of tried this professional life a little bit. WTA, cool. And two days later, I was already in Namangan. Scoring points, Dasha. That’s right. But in the end, everything was actually pretty good. How much have you changed since then, as a person, as an athlete? I have changed without a doubt, 11 years have passed. A lot has happened, and my rating has improved. Hopefully you can have your own room in hotels. I can have whatever I want. I can buy pills for myself in normal packaging, not cutting them with scissors. No, a lot has happened. There were a lot of adventures, of course. And, of course, I’ve become a different person. Well, I was a child then, in fact. How old was I? 17. I wasn’t even 17 years old then, in my opinion. I gained a lot of life experience and travelled the world. A lot of interesting things have happened to me, interesting people. I actually lived part of my life. And that’s cool. That Fed Cup, actually… That was one of the few events that I vividly remember about my career to this day. I mean, a lot of things happened there, and I played in a lot of tournaments. But that Fed Cup is one of those very vivid memories. I remember a lot of what happened that week, and I really learned a lot from those days, and it’s probably for the best that I lost that bet because I’ve actually gained more excitement for the sport. And I had to earn my spot under the sun. And I’ve earned it. So, you’ve started your professional career early enough. Do you think it’s good to start early? Now, for example, there is Mirra Andreeva, who is already in the top ten, and she is making great progress, and many consider her to be the new Sharapova. Maybe. What do you think about this? Well, Mira is Mira. She is herself, she can’t be the new Sharapova and thank god for that. She’s very cool. And anyway, do you consider herself a prodigy? Yes, I do. Is this a good thing or a bad? Probably a good thing. The most important fact, which is kind of the most important thing about her, but it seems to me that she copes with this pressure perfectly, she enjoys it, she really enjoys the attention, she enjoys playing under pressure. She likes the struggle, she likes giving interviews. It’s like a piece of cake for her. It doesn’t take away any energy. Going out to play against top one, top two, top three was all she dreamed about. It was as if she had been released there. She broke out there. Give it to me. She’s mentally ready, the rest will come. But she’s mentally ready. Because it’s one thing, let’s say it’s cool to play the first season, right? It’s quite another thing to play as cool next year. When she came out, she has not only maintained her level, she performs better every time. That’s why, well, Mira is a very cool girl, I like talking to her. Her 18th birthday is soon, in a week or so. Sadly she hasn’t invited me to her birthday yet… Mira, take it more seriously. Anyway, you said that you like in competitions to be left alone before the game, in order to accumulate energy? Has it always been like this? No. When I first started qualifying for the Cups, I practised day and night. Especially if I played first. I could be there until like 8 pm. I was walking around, watching others play, talking to people, sat in a restaurant. And I needed it. I felt great. After four Cups, my social battery was over, I was sitting like this and I realized that I’m just blurring my eyes, my head is starting to hurt. I’m thinking oh, I see, that’s it, it’s time to get out of here. Listen, when there are new players, new blood like Mira, for example, it’s more interesting, isn’t it? You think that at least a fresh face has appeared. Otherwise the same ones in the arena, everything is the same. She is no longer fresh. I’m already tired of her. Take her away. But still, you know, when someone new comes along, it’s always so interesting. Let’s practice, let’s see what to expect. And then you realize, yes, good, bad, is it possible to work with this or not? What was the question? The question? Does 10 years on tour make you a veteran or not? Shamil Tarpischev thinks that yes. Do tell. Well, he said so, when I went to play for Australia, that I was a veteran. As to be expected, he said, you are a veteran. That the veteran is leaving? No, that’s expected, and it’s ok. Right, 10 years makes you a veteran. How long do you plan to continue playing? Well, you know, there’s an idea that, for example, I want to play until I’m 35. Arina Sobolenko said: I want to play until a certain age, then have a baby, then come back. Well, everyone has their own program. I don’t know. But I have a number in my head. That is 35. Well, that’s in the sense that after 35, I probably don’t want to play anymore, or even won’t be able to. It’s a very difficult sport emotionally, in terms of constantly moving. That is, tennis is very intensive. That is, I need to keep myself in shape. It takes a lot of effort and, of course, is difficult. That’s why, to be honest, of course, I don’t lose hope, but it will be difficult to torture myself for eight more years. The main thing is to be healthy. Okay, then you’ll catch the second wind and everything will work out. Everything works out now. I am talking about the future. What’s going to happen there in eight or seven years, like now, I have the strength, yes, to kind of pull myself, force myself to work, still sacrifice some things, right? But after a while, I already think that the enthusiasm will slowly fade, right? I don’t think I’ll be playing after 35. What do you think about Alize Korney, who retired but has already returned? Aren’t you going to come back? I think I’ll be thinking about it in two years. Right, you need to practise some more. Get in shape, yes. Well, those types of retirement. It’s interesting. Well, it’s just a little strange, when an athlete retires, officially says goodbye to everybody and then changes his mind. No, I’m going back. And she even won right after. No, I’m sure she’s in great shape. I’m sure she didn’t lose it. She has been retired for a year, and she hasn’t lost much form. But I do not know why. Just like that, it’s been a year. That’s fascinating, I haven’t talked to her. I’m going to ask her when I see her, I’m really interested in why this situation happened. What are the top three best things for professional tennis players? ‘Things’ in terms of what happens to us? Let’s think about it now. Travelling maybe? Well, look. Traveling has two sides of the same coin. Traveling is amazing. And traveling just incredibly broadens your world perception. In this regard, tennis is, of course, a unique sport. And that’s kind of what I’m grateful for: traveling, and seeing the world for what it really is, not the way other people sometimes say it is.. But at the same time, for me, at least, it’s difficult, because I’m such a homebody. For me, going out and leaving the house for a long time is difficult, but for the sake of tennis, you have to put up with it. Good. Travelling - one point. That’s one thing. The second thing is the fans’ love. For example! What a romantic thought! It’s good if there’s fan love. You have a fan club, by the way, we know. I was lucky, I was lucky. Of course, I have the love of the fans, and then there are also the haters. Well, we won’t talk about them. The fans’ love is really amazing. When everybody is rooting for you, it’s worth living for. Unfortunately, the last time I heard loud cheers was somewhere in St. Petersburg or the Kremlin Cup. These are probably the tournaments, where, of course, it still feels like home. But having the support of fans is amazing. When there was COVID, it was sad, to be honest. We kept playing, but when you can only hear your coach’s three claps, it’s like a practice match. Some crow flies by and that’s all you hear. As soon as the fans returned, of course, it became much better. Let me mention the third benefit of tennis. After all, it’s a profession, it’s an opportunity to earn money. It is very important. And it’s really cool that we have this opportunity thanks to tennis, because of what we do, what we love to be able to be independent and free. That’s amazing. Well, let’s top the worst things then. Well, travelling for once! Travelling and collecting balls during sessions? What do you think? Do you like it? That’s too small. What about cleaning the court? Well, yes, I’ve done it when I was a child. And now you have a team of people preparing the court for your game? No, here how it happens. I see Flavio doing it and I call him “Flavio, Flavio, let me”. And he says no, and I am like, well, I’ve tried. In my childhood we had a huge bucket of tennis balls, seemed like a thousand, a million. And by the end of the session our coach would say: I count until 20. If the balls were not collected, we had to do push ups. I hate collecting balls after that. Значит, все разыграли, и меня такой считали все. Fitness is really hard, but, for example, I love the gym, I hate running. These monotonous long runs I hate. Do you prefer playing? Yes, I can play any game. At the warm-up I ask for a ball, I just want to play. No, everything monotonous I hate, like running, some kind of cardio that is monotonous. I remember when I was a kid I used to run cross-country in Tolyatti -15 degrees. Who sent you? My brother. We used to run together. Together. - 15 degrees, I am running in leggings through the woods. Well, there’s a road near the forest. And I am running, wearing a hat. It was a nightmare. And I would hide when we were forced to cross-run through the woods. Now I would go down to the river, watch the fishing process. How interesting! And they would ask where I have been? And I would say that I forgot to bring my watch. It turned out everyone was looking for me. But it worked out! Oh, by the way, how many hours a day do you train? Do tell. Not at tournaments. When you need to prepare properly. Right now I have a steady two hours of fitness before tennis. Someday I may focus on physique, someday I may focus on some other things, on footwork. But in general, 2 hours before tennis and tennis also is two hours. And then, if I need to work on something more, we do that. But in general, it looks like this, we have slightly changed my routine. I used to have a longer day, that is, tennis was shorter, there was also tennis in the evening, and fitness was also divided in two parts. We are doing it differently now. Well, not now, it’s been, in fact, like two years of this routine. We do all the work in the morning to allow the body to recover in the afternoon. You’re playing a match at one point for two hours in a row. Therefore, it makes more sense to do one block there at the beginning of the day, and then let the body recover until the next day. You haven’t changed coaches that often in your career, and you’re quite conservative in this regard. Why? I am a very conservative person. You don’t like changes? Not very. That is, I will resort to change only if I really need it. Not like, for example, there’s something I don’t like a little bit and I change everything right away. That is, I would rather talk to a person somehow, we will somehow look for a common ground before changing something so global. Well, I must admit, I was lucky in this regard too. That is, whenever I started working with coaches, I liked it, and we continued to work, and the result was also there. That’s why I didn’t have to change anything either. Of course, if I would come across some dude there who wasn’t very pleasant, of course, well, we wouldn’t have worked. Moreover, I don’t like the lapping period. This is why I like long term partnerships. Because of this lapping moment, I don’t like it at all. Because you need to understand if the person is okay/not okay, maybe he’s pretending, or maybe, on the contrary, he is shy, and it is not clear at all what is wrong with him. I mean, we have a new tournament every week, a new coach - we don’t have much time for that. Therefore, if I like working with a person, I will work with him for a long time. And because of the little things, I won’t immediately fire a person. And what about other girls? The ones that do that, changing coaches like gloves. Do you find their behaviour immature? No, I never really think that way. Because there are always different situations. Two people who should fit together as people and professionally. Well, it’s not that easy to find the right person. And thank God. Well, I was lucky. Of course, there are a lot of girls who don’t stay with the coaches for a long time. Well, damn, yes, sometimes at some moments the nerves are making the decision, the other times - the coaches make themselves not trustworthy. We are all different, everyone is looking for something different. Training process is also such a subtle thing that if you don’t really like what a person is saying to you, he will start to annoy you behind the court, and vice versa. Yes, we have such a complex relationship, indeed, in which it is really difficult to find a completely suitable person. Anyway, it’s always necessary to find compromises between the coach and the player, and the player and the coach, of course, this is absolutely normal. What qualities in a coach are important to you? Do you want him to train you technically and tactically, and to be a therapist as well? What’s important to you? Well, probably the most important thing for me is that he must be a good person, so that I can really trust him. Because if I don’t trust him, I won’t be able to tell him how I feel on the court, why I go out there, I have some kind of insecurity there, I just won’t be able to even share, because I don’t trust this person. But for me, the most important thing is, of course, to understand that the coach is a good guy and that he will not belittle my problems. That’s a real issue. Many coaches don’t listen. Girls come with some kind of problem, just life problems or something, and it is not taken seriously. But that shouldn’t be the case. This is wrong. It seems to me that this is the problem. But on the other hand, they’re not therapists, they don’t always have special education. That is, it must be a sensitive and understanding person, as we know, there are few such people. That’s probably why the girls are changing coaches. So, for many girls, because they feel that they cannot be trusted, that they are not understood, and how would you continue to work if you feel that you are being neglected, well, that’s also wrong. That’s why there are more and more female coaches. On our tour, by the way, too, and I think that’s one of the reasons. Well, it turns out that girls, it’s easier to trust a female coach. It seems to me that this is one of the reasons. Would you like to try female coaches in the future? Maybe, I think it’s cool. I don’t know why we had so few female coaches on the women’s tour at all. For me, it’s always been like, it doesn’t make sense. That’s why there are a lot of players who are done now. Girls are coming, they’re training, and it’s cool. I’m watching them too, and it’s really amazing. In fact, I think such changes are a good thing. Well, darling, your time has come. Pop quiz, a challenge for you. Are you ready? No. You can do anything. I believe in you. Look, you’re going to play tennis now, and we’ll see how sane the tennis players are. I’ll be asking you questions, intellectual ones. Very? Well, for athletes. And you have to answer them quickly. You have 30 seconds. How many questions? Not many. Not many. Come on, shake it. What is the capital of Australia? Canberra. How many tournaments are included in the Grand Slam series? Four. Which ocean is the biggest? Pacific. Right. How many sides does a hexagon have? Six. Three in a cube equals? 27.. Which country is home to kangaroos? Australia. What does hakuna matata mean? It means chill out. How long does a football match last? 90 minutes. Which is heavier than a kilogram of cotton wool or a kilogram of iron? Identically. In which country did the Olympic Games originate? Greece. What is the highest mountain in the world? Everest. What game is being played at Wimbledon? Tennis. What do panda’s eat? Bamboo. Who wrote War and Peace? Tolstoy. Yaaay! I am not stupid. You count so fast, have you seen it? She’s unstoppable, not just at the game but intellectually too. You were just asking the questions for which I somehow kne the answers. Oh. You shall educate yourself, because such a moment will come one day! And read books! High five! <b>I know your "love" for travelling.</b> <b>But let's imagine.</b> <b>Imagine that you need</b> <b>to stay in one place for six months.</b> <b>How would you feel?</b> <b>Great!</b> <b>It's was like on COVID quarantine</b> <b>I loved it.</b> <b>I am a homebody.</b> <b>No, seriously. In addition,</b> <b>we travel so often. </b> <b>And whenever I am home, </b> <b>it's just the best time. </b> <b>And be at home for a long time, </b> <b>it's not even a problem for me.</b> <b>I love it. </b> <b>I wish to have a dog for us</b> <b>to sit together on the sofa.</b> <b>What type of dog?</b> <b>French bulldog.</b> <b>Why not adopt it now?</b> <b>Too much travelling.</b> <b>Noone to leave it to?</b> <b>None. </b> <b>In addition, it's difficult to take her with me.</b> <b>It's a torture for a pet. </b> <b>I would never do it with a pet.</b> <b>The dog has to have her own routine.</b> <b>And for a french bulldog </b> <b>it's like a veteran, it's difficult for them.</b> <b>And to leave it alone</b> <b>well it's like leaving a child.</b> <b>You leave a puppy, </b> <b>you come back it has grown into a dog already.</b> <b>And it's sad.</b> <b>Whenever girls go to tournaments, </b> <b>they just lock them in their hotel rooms.</b> <b>So heartbreaking!</b> <b>That's why I can't do this to my dog.</b> <b>I need to wait a little bit to have a pet.</b> <b>Alright.</b> <b>Just hold on!</b> <b>Dasha, athletes often have</b> <b>megalomania which transfers smoothly</b> <b>into an inferiority complex.</b> <b>When you are winning - you feel like a queen.</b> <b>When you lose - you feel like you are nobody. </b> <b>Why so?</b> <b>Oh, tennis players can relate.</b> <b>They really do.</b> <b>I feel like,</b> <b>it often starts in you childhood,</b> <b>I've been thinking about it recently.</b> <b>because I believe I still feel this way.</b> <b>You have good mood when you are winning,</b> <b>yet whenever you lose - you feel like dirt.</b> <b>You lose the reason to live on.</b> <b>Yep.</b> <b>And you feel like that every week.</b> <b>Because we have matches every week.</b> <b>And I've been thinking, why do I feel this way.</b> <b>I can assume that it comes from my childhood.</b> <b>Because whenever I would win a match,</b> <b>Your parents would be happy and buy you a chocolate bar.</b> <b>Or take you out to eat. And you are sitting there, happy. </b> <b>But when you lose,</b> <b>You are sitting in a car in silence. </b> <b>In such a mood.</b> <b>Nobody takes you out to eat,</b> <b>doom and gloom.</b> <b>You come home, sad, and have to go to school.</b> <b>Well, I feel like,</b> <b>taking into account the fact that,</b> <b>my parents are cool and the've never pressured me. </b> <b>But when you don't have such parents,</b> <b>when you are constantly critisized, bullied, god forbid. </b> <b>And you didn't have that?</b> <b>My parents were very chill about that.</b> <b>Of corse, they were worried for me,</b> <b>as parents should be,</b> <b>they've supported me.</b> <b>Naturally, they wanted to see results. </b> <b>But I never felt like</b> <b>they are pressuring me.</b> <b>I pressured myself, yes.</b> <b>But they never did. </b> <b>Going back to our topic, </b> <b>I feel like everythig comes from your childhood.</b> <b>And you collect it,</b> <b>when you become older, these feelings continue to grow on you.</b> <b>And in addition to that you have</b> <b>the rating that you have to uphold.</b> <b>If you are growing - you feel great. </b> <b>Everybody cheers you up.</b> <b>You feel this way.</b> <b>Even though people don't care.</b> <b>then when you fail, </b> <b>you feel worthless. And so on, and so on.</b> <b>And it's like you said it is.</b> <b>You said that when you lose, </b> <b>you feel like there's nothing else to love for.</b> <b>What's the reason of life for you?</b> <b>The reason?</b> <b>I haven't lost so much for me to think about it.</b> <b>So I have no concrete answer.</b> <b>Well, it is definetely not about focusing on you losses. </b> <b>You are 100% right. </b> <b>They idea is not about winning or losing. </b> <b>I understood it from experience.</b> <b>Because what I had it like that.</b> <b>I used to consider every match a life or death situation.</b> <b>It was a disaster.</b> <b>It's just hard to live like that. </b> <b>It's not living, it's surviving. You need to take it easy.</b> <b>Like Marat said: it's just a game. </b> <b>Tennis is just a game.</b> <b>Well, in reality it is a little bit more than just a game. </b> <b>For the players.</b> <b>For fans it can be just people running around the court. </b> <b>So, when I were in Miami,</b> <b>after the tournament I stayed there to train for a little. </b> <b>Our friends were working at that tournament.</b> <b>They were orginising the fan-zone.</b> <b>They've invited me. And one of my friend had a birthday there.</b> <b>So I come to that fan-zone, </b> <b>I swear, I didn't go to our area even.</b> <b>And it's so nice to watch the game from fan-zone. </b> <b>I really enjoyed the tournament from fan-zone.</b> <b>I understood what everybody likes so much. </b> <b>What the fun is about. </b> <b>Why everybody likes tennis so much.</b> <b>Dasha, you wouldn't believe, they even buy tickets for a big amount of money. </b> <b>Everything just to watch the game.</b> <b>I watched it on TV.</b> <b>I had so much fun that TV broadcast was enough. </b> <b>Where we were sitting, </b> <b>everybody wasn't really paying attention to the game.</b> <b>Everybody came to have fun.</b> <b>And I realised why everybody is so eager to come to these games. </b> <b>Why people constantly ask me for the tickets.</b> <b>I used to think why would you want those tickets after all. </b> <b>I thought that it was boring but then</b> <b>I realised what was the fuss about. </b> <b>Do you have such a thing when</b> <b>you gave the tickets to your friends.</b> <b>And you feel the need to win</b> <b>because they are watching the game. </b> <b>So I won't fail with them watching. </b> <b>And exactly during that game it</b> <b>doesn't go well.</b> <b>And my ego crumbles</b> <b>Crushed.</b> <b>I can relate.</b> <b>Whenever I know that there are my friends in the audience,</b> <b>Of corse, I feel, well,</b> <b>the pressure to impress my friends.</b> <b>But in the end they will support me even if I fail. </b> <b>Even if it's going to be the worst match of my life.</b> <b>They will support me.</b> <b>And after the game they won't tell me that,</b> <b>They are not my friends anymore.</b> <b>Yep, that would be weird.</b> <b>Indeed.</b> <b>However, I that thought creeps into my mind.</b> <b>My brain works in mysterious way. </b> <b>That you sometimes have thoughts like that.</b> <b>I can only be loves if I am successful.</b> <b>I remember that at the beginning of your career,</b> <b>you said that</b> <b>you don't really click with the other tennis players.</b> <b>Why?</b> <b>Is it because you are competing one anoher?</b> <b>because it's hard to distinguish who is your </b> <b>friend and who is your enemy?</b> <b>You are touring for 10 years now.</b> <b>You should've figured it out by now.</b> <b>Have I really said that I don't click?</b> <b>I don't remember that interview.</b> <b>Of corse, I figured it out.</b> <b>Do tell then.</b> <b>I realised that it's not about the tennis field itself,</b> <b>it's about life.</b> <b>People can be different.</b> <b>There are nice people and the ones that aren't so nice.</b> <b>There are the one's with whom you click,</b> <b>and the one's with whom you don't.</b> <b>Here I have, well,</b> <b>I would say, yes, </b> <b>my friends with whom I like to chat.</b> <b>I mean, me,</b> <b>well, I admit that there are players for whom such a connection, well,</b> <b>it's not for them. They can't divide themselves between</b> <b>the game and the relationship you have after it.</b> <b>Well, that's life.</b> <b>But I am a very chatty person, I need those connections.</b> <b>I like to spend time communicationg with people.</b> <b>To share a laugh.</b> <b>It's important for me.</b> <b>And so I found people with whom I can do that.</b> <b>My people.</b> <b>Who are they?</b> <b>Tell their names.</b> <b>Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Daria Gavrilova. </b> <b>I can't get used to her new surname.</b> <b>Radionova.</b> <b>Mostly they are Australian.</b> <b>My team, yes.</b> <b>I am a little afraid to forget somebody.</b> <b>It happens often when you are asked these questions.</b> <b>But I have a big circle</b> <b>of people with whom I spend time on the court and out of it.</b> <b>Well, besides training, what do you do together, where do you go, what do you see?</b> <b>We see nothing. </b> <b>That hasn't changed.</b> <b>We have no energy besides training to go see something.</b> <b>So we often dine together s.</b> <b>At the restaurants in a hotel where you stay?</b> <b>Something like that.</b> <b>We don't go far.</b> <b>We stay in a close circle.</b> <b>But sometimes we order a taxi to go somewhere.</b> <b>If the place is worth it.</b> <b>We then might find the energy to get there.</b> <b>I lost my train of thought.</b> <b>You mentioned going to bars and drinking cocktails</b> <b>Maybe you go to some sights or theaters and museums.</b> <b>I don't like museums and whenever </b> <b>I get invited to the theater - I skip.</b> <b>i usually say that I am going to wait for you at the bar stall.</b> <b>What about concerts?</b> <b>I like concerts. But with them it's tricky because</b> <b>you need to fit it into your schedule, to be in the same city.</b> <b>And we travel so much so.</b> <b>I really want to go to Dua Lipa's concert.</b> <b>I really want, and she's having her European tour.</b> <b>It has actually maybe even begun already.</b> <b>But it's so difficult to pick the right moment</b> <b>to fit it into your schedule.</b> <b>It's so interesting, she'll have concerts in the city's we play in.</b> <b>But in different days.</b> <b>Yep, five days after the match.</b> <b>And I am like: what a bummer!</b> <b>So even if you win,</b> <b>you still miss the concert.</b> <b>Right! I have to go to another place the next day.</b> <b>Yep. It's hard to go somewhere, see sftuff.</b> <b>And concerts actually requires a lot of energy.</b> <b>I like them but </b> <b>but I feel extremely tired after those types of events.</b> <b>When I am on tournaments,</b> <b>I try not to waste my energy.</b> <b>I would rather stay in a hotel, resting. </b> <b>I used to have more energy,</b> <b>now it's different.</b> <b>I feel that it's level is decreasing.</b> <b>You don't say!</b> <b>Tell me, do you have friends who are not from tennis field?</b> <b>They maybe also invite you to, say, birthday parties.</b> <b>to some other events.</b> <b>And how it usually is, they say:</b> <b>Dasha, do come to our birthday party and you can't, you are playing.</b> <b>Don't you have the feeling that your life is passing by.</b> <b>And here you are, playing tennis.</b> <b>Well, my friends have lost any hope</b> <b>They don't even invite me anymore.</b> <b>It usually goes like this:</b> <b>my best friend, Veronika, from Voronezh,</b> <b>she texts me like this:</b> <b>well, bro, there is going to be my birth day but I know you can't come.,,</b> <b>Just in case you forgot...</b> <b>In fact, to be honest, I think about it sometimes.</b> <b>They increase when </b> <b>I miss the events I really wanted to attend. </b> <b>Family ones.</b> <b>In those moments, obviously,</b> <b>I ask myself whether</b> <b>is it going to end some day?</b> <b>Is there a spot in my schedule</b> <b>where I can fit my life.</b> <b>But no, I need to take a break in order to find time.</b> <b>I don't want to take a break.</b> <b>And so I have to, well,</b> <b>accept this way of life.</b> <b>I have to choose and make sacrifices.</b> <b>There is always a choice.</b> <b>You can choose not to go to some big tournament.</b> <b>Or a small one...</b> <b>Well, that's just what you'll get.</b> <b>Well, for example, if you have</b> <b>your best friends wedding, for example.</b> <b>You have to see whether you've got a big or small tournament coming in. </b> <b>Or maybe you can even cancel Wimbeldon. </b> <b>So, yes, you have to balance it out.</b> <b>It's hard.</b> <b>But I chose this sport.</b> <b>Actually, I wouldn't say that I chose this sport, I think it chose me. </b> <b>My parents chose it and then I just had some success in it.</b> <b>And in a blink of an eye, here we are.</b> <b>You had success right away?</b> <b>Kind of, I immediately thought that it's for me.</b> <b>It was a long time ago, I don't quite remember.</b> <b>I was 6 when I started training. </b> <b>And I was the leader among my peers.</b> <b>I would win the girls my age.</b> <b>I got transferred to the higher group.</b> <b>There I would win too.</b> <b>Then they've started to have individual sessions with me.</b> <b>And send me to matches.</b> <b>And I would win those games in Tolyatti.</b> <b>Then I would win the games in my region.</b> <b>Then it was time to go to Moscow.</b> <b>It felt that way, yes.</b> <b>It's going to be almost international competitions.</b> <b>To Moscow.</b> <b>What tournament was it?</b> <b>I don't remember.</b> <b>So you were under so much pressure</b> <b>to show your best there.</b> <b>I felt more pressure then than I feel now.</b> <b>There I was freaking out.</b> <b>It's those type of tournaments </b> <b>where your parents cheer you up.</b> <b>Jumping at the fences to support you.</b> <b>Kids are under so much stress.</b> <b>Because when they lose - their dad's are angry at them.</b> <b>The referee is also freaking out.</b> <b>It's very emotional.</b> <b>Thanks God my parents...</b> <b>Thanks God my parents were chill,</b> <b>as chill as they could be.</b> <b>Of corse, they worried for me,</b> <b>they wanted me to win.</b> <b>And I was always the youngest one.</b> <b>But they've battled it well.</b> <b>I am proud of them.</b> <b>I've got a new challenge for you - associations</b> <b>You have to think of a song that you associate with...</b> <b>first love!</b> <b>First love?</b> <b>Yep, from school.</b> <b>Do you have such a song?</b> <b>I don't know, well,</b> <b>maybe this one.</b> <b>It is actually one of my favorite songs.</b> <b>Have you heard it?</b> <b>Of corse, without a doubt.</b> <b>Love isn't born, it is created.</b> <b>The scenery may change, but love will stay with you.</b> <b>Does it fit?</b> <b>Time flies.</b> <b>Come on.</b> <b>Next one. </b> <b>Which song do you associate with coming back home?</b> <b>Let it be this one.</b> <b>Is it Prodigy?</b> <b>Nope. What is it then?</b> <b>Oh, I understand now. </b> <b>I like old music.</b> <b>Which song do you associate with the feeling like you</b> <b>are in a movie?</b> <b>Maybe this one.</b> <b>It feels like a movie.</b> <b>Each step you take like you are in a scene of a movie.</b> <b>And it's raining. </b> <b>Let's play that scene then.</b> <b>It doesn't feel like a movie.</b> <b>You should've asked somebody else.</b> <b>Okay: a song for heartbreak.</b> <b>I've got a bunch of them.</b> <b>Well, heartbreak then, let's see.</b> <b>I can't really help you with that. </b> <b>I like more positive vibes.</b> <b>Well then this one, Tatyana Bulanova.</b> <b>But she always cries too.</b> <b>You hate all my music. </b> <b>What's the song's name?</b> <b>"Don't cry"</b> <b>There's only one night left for us...</b> <b>You said - heartbreak.</b> <b>Totally broken by this song.</b> <b>You feel that?</b> <b>Just the last time,</b> <b>I look in your eyes.</b> <b>I get it, I get it.</b> <b>No more tears. </b> <b>I adore sad music.</b> <b>I just love it.</b> <b>Next one: first snow of a season.</b> <b>Imagine you wake up in Australia,</b> <b>you open your curtains and you see snow.</b> <b>Which song resonates with that?</b> <b>Sia then.</b> <b>I like this one.</b> <b>I like the chorus.</b> <b>It's coming up.</b> <b>But it's a long time vefore winter. </b> <b>Yep.</b> <b>Australian one.</b> <b>It's a long time until winter.</b> <b>Nice one!</b> <b>You know the lyrics.</b> <b>Next one.</b> <b>A song when you feel happy sad.</b> <b>Happy sad?</b> <b>I feel like happy sad is when you feel sad</b> <b>about remembering something yet</b> <b>the memories are nice.</b> <b>So which one?</b> <b>I think Alsu will fit well.</b> <b>This one I know.</b> <b>Oh God.</b> <b>What a strange music taste I've got.</b> <b>I showed you all my inner demons.</b> <b>You opened up before me. </b> <b>That's really the music I listen to.</b> <b>Okay, next one - Monday morning.</b> <b>Well, it is music for </b> <b>for a Monday training session.</b> <b>What is your mood for a training session?</b> <b>Music doesn't help.</b> <b>Aren't you excited to go for a training exercise? </b> <b>Monday morning, 7 am...</b> <b>It's difficult not only on Mondays.</b> <b>On Sunday you had your rest.</b> <b>And on Monday you turn on that exact song and...</b> <b>It is positive, isn't it?</b> <b>The most among your playlist.</b> <b>What's next?</b> <b>The song that represent you winning the match.</b> <b>"You are the winner" song.</b> <b>Which one?</b> <b>I've got one.</b> <b>Here you are, winning. </b> <b>I feel like, this onee</b> <b>fits even better that "We are the champions".</b> <b>It's closer to my heart.</b> <b>But it's got some sad vibes.</b> <b>Because winning is about sacrifices.</b> <b>You've ran so many times, you've finally won!</b> <b>She knows the lyrics.</b> <b>We've got one!</b> <b>That's it! Thanks God.</b> <b>You've done some pads advertisуments in the past.</b> <b>I was offered to advertise tampons. </b> <b>And I refused to do so.</b> <b>But you've agreed.</b> <b>Were you offered a lot of money?</b> <b>In that moment it felt like a lot. </b> <b>I can't really disclose the numbers. </b> <b>But it was 2016.</b> <b>And I have just begun</b> <b>to crawl up on my career ladder and ratings,</b> <b>and to earn money. </b> <b>So at that time for me</b> <b>it was good money.</b> <b>And I didn't see anything wrong in those</b> <b>types of ads.</b> <b>I use these products myself.</b> <b>There are lots of agencies popped up in the field</b> <b>major ones and newbies.</b> <b>Many tennis players open their agencies.</b> <b>For example, Naomi Osaka, Cori Gauff, Roger Federer.</b> <b>Are you satisfied with your agents.</b> <b>When we were trying to contact you, </b> <b>we almost cought yours in a pool.</b> <b>He was resting and you interfered.</b> <b>What a professional approach, him being on holiday</b> <b>and you have found him.</b> <b>Yep, he's a pro.</b> <b>We didn't expect for him to reply to us so soon.</b> <b>Yes, sometimes he doesn't.</b> <b>But me,</b> <b>I've told you already,</b> <b>about my coach.</b> <b>You've asked what was the most</b> <b>important thing about my coach.</b> <b>And I told you that it's for him to be a good guy.</b> <b>Here, it's the same thing.</b> <b>Or it may be even more important.</b> <b>For example, me and my agent John</b> <b>we have been working together since 2018.</b> <b>We've been through</b> <b>many criseses concerning the sport and not.</b> <b>Mine and his. Difficult professional periods.</b> <b>If we'll look at</b> <b>at the period when we were changing agencies,</b> <b>for about a year or so.</b> <b>It came to a point wehere we had to change</b> <b>a few agencies. </b> <b>But still,</b> <b>we worked as a team.</b> <b>Because I trust him and he's cool.</b> <b>I know that he'll always support my interests.</b> <b>And that is the most important thing for me.</b> <b>Because the business of agencies,</b> <b>it is a slippery slope.</b> <b>Because people go there to make money.</b> <b>They do not give a damn about fellings of athletes.</b> <b>So trust was very important for me.</b> <b>I had to find the person </b> <b>who'll be interested in me not just</b> <b>from business point of view.</b> <b>From whom you'll be sucking the money out.</b> <b>We've been working for about</b> <b>seven years now.</b> <b>And I like it.</b> <b>I don't want to change anything.</b> <b>We've found the right agency</b> <b>for us.</b> <b>Naomi Osaka had the same thing</b> <b>she and her agent have parted ways with an agency</b> <b>and then they've made their own. </b> <b>Have you thought about doing the same?</b> <b>He and Galo Blanco have created an agency</b> <b>but without you.</b> <b>Yes, without me.</b> <b>It's just not my thing.</b> <b>I have my tennis games to take care of.</b> <b>And my video blog.</b> <b>Having an agency is next level.</b> <b>It is for the people who understand those things.</b> <b>What do you think, taking</b> <b>into consideration that you are playing for Australia</b> <b>will you recieve more ads proposals?</b> <b>I don't know.</b> <b>I think we'll see as we go further</b> <b>in time.</b> <b>Maybe I will.</b> <b>If so then it's great.</b> <b>I'd be glad and happy.</b> <b>But me transferring wasn't for advertising purposes.</b> <b>If my transfer will enhance the amount of ad campaings,</b> <b>then - great!</b> <b>Which ad deal is the biggest</b> <b>for you currently?</b> <b>Adidas sportswear.</b> <b>Yes, sportswear.</b> <b>I've had it since</b> <b>I think since 2021.</b> <b>The end of 2021.</b> <b>Is there some brand with whom </b> <b>you'd really want to work with?</b> <b>I haven't thought about it.</b> <b>Louis Vuitton? Gicci? Prada?</b> <b>Fashion is not my cup of tea.</b> <b>Rick Ownes then?</b> <b>Maybe I would've agreed because I like the clothes,</b> <b>but then you realise that with that</b> <b>you have to also do some fashion photoshoots.</b> <b>And I don't really feel comfortable doing that.</b> <b>I am not Garbine Muguruza, I really liked her by the way.</b> <b>Well then something besides high fashion then.</b> <b>The brand of a t-shirt you have,</b> <b>would you like to do a campaign for them?</b> <b>Yes, I would.</b> <b>But then comes the photoshoots,</b> <b>alright, I'll just have to endure.</b> <b>For such a purpose!</b> <b>Without a doubt.</b> <b>as far as I know, you are rather frugal. </b> <b>Correct me if I am wrong.</b> <b>Do you invest your money?</b> <b>Or you just do the savings?</b> <b>Well, one must have savings, that's for sure.</b> <b>But I also</b> <b>I invest but not without the guidance of those</b> <b>who it understand better than me. </b> <b>I have a trusted person in my bank</b> <b>who knows about current situation on the market.</b> <b>Where, how and what to invest.</b> <b>I know the basics but</b> <b>Like, I know what is happening to my money and</b> <b>where it is going.</b> <b>But to imagine myself analyzing stock, it is just difficult. </b> <b>I haven't reached this peak yet.</b> <b>And so I delegated this task. </b> <b>But we can call you an active investor.</b> <b>Yes, we can, I think.</b> <b>I was tought that</b> <b>money shall not just lay in your pocket, they'll lose it's value.</b> <b>And if you don't want, in 20 years for example,</b> <b>lose this money just because you didn't</b> <b>invest it anywhere.</b> <b>You should use all the instruments that will help</b> <b>you to increase your capital.</b> <b>Who tought you that?</b> <b>My brother did.</b> <b>He's very smart in this field.</b> <b>He constantly analyses the market and where to invest.</b> <b>Moreover,</b> <b>when I was opening my bank account,</b> <b>the manager there, well, let's not call it lectured me but,</b> <b>she wanted me to start taking steps in this direction.</b> <b>And my parents, they too</b> <b>my dad is a very pragmatic man.</b> <b>He loves having money,</b> <b>and to count them.</b> <b>Yes, he adores it.</b> <b>That's why,</b> <b>I've never had it this way when</b> <b>I wanted just to spend them.</b> <b>But I've always thought that it's important to have savings.</b> <b>And if there is a chance to increase it's amount,</b> <b>show me how it's done.</b> <b>Making money is the most important thing.</b> <b>Something like that.</b> Charleston. Was it your first time playing under the Australian flag? How did you feel? It's very exciting. It was very unusual, of course, but I was ready for it. I understood that such a big event that had happened in my life would not just go away without a trace. So, naturally, I understood that, most likely, I would go to the first match under the Australian flag and I would be nervous. I didn't know what kind of feelings I would have, what I would experience. I knew it would be a difficult match for me mentally, and it was like that. I was very nervous before the match. Even Flavio has asked me whether I was alright. I guess I looked nervous. But it's not the first time I've gone through some difficulties before a match. Not everyone understood where Australia popped up from. You used to train in Spain, you have an apartment in Dubai, and here Australia comes out of nowhere. It's kind of confusing. I agree with you. It wasn’t a surprise for me but it happened so fast. I already said in an interview in Charleston that my representatives came to Australian tennis representatives and asked if there were any options, if they were interested in me. And thank you, they helped me a lot. Anyway, thank you, Australia is a very cool country. And in my worldview, with my kind of opinions in life, Australia fits in, I would say, almost perfectly. That's why I'm very grateful to Australia that they accepted me, that they gave me this opportunity and that I can now call this place my home. And yes, life happened. I had to make this choice. But I'm glad that this choice was - Australia, that everything turned out this way. Why have they approached Australia? Or were there a list? Australia first. It starts with an A. Well, because, well, it just happened. Actually. You need to ask my manager. In today's realities of my situation. I had to come up with something, I had to think of something new to live in peace and happily, the way I want to live. That's what I would say. Australia is one of those countries where I can feel free and happy. That’s why. Yes, it so happened that my manager heard my needs and worked in this direction and made this happen, I would call it a gift. I know cases from other sports where athletes change their federation but don't receive a passport from the country they represent. Do you have an Australian passport? I don't have an Australian passport yet. I only have permanent residency so far. To get a passport, I need to do some more things. Like everyone who wants to get a passport, I need to live here for a while, take a citizenship test, and so on. And that's what I'm going to do. It's only a matter of time. But are you already preparing for that citizenship test? Are you studying the history of Australia or is it too early? And, by the way, you can also go there on the official website, you can go through the demo version. I passed it, it was fun. In fact, it's not that I don't know anything about Australia. Obviously, I knew about Australia, and it turned out that I knew a lot about it. According to the result, yes. Of course, I still need to improve my knowledge because I really want to learn more about this country. I am preparing because I don’t want to fail. Obviously. Has anybody from your family applied for citizenship? Just me. Well, the news about your flag change took many by surprise, and to be honest, I didn't even expect it. I even cried a little. Which opinions made you cry? Well, the negative ones, you know, of course. There were few positives. I'll be honest. How did people react? The way you expected? Worse, better? I've received a lot of support. From my circle, obviously, only support and from the international community, too. I know even from Australia the feedback was warm and nice. That is, everything I saw, I tried to surround myself with only a very positive point of view, and such cool energy, which I received. It was very cool. A lot of people actually wrote to me and were very happy for me. And I was very, well, very pleased, actually. I only received kind and nice reactions. There were actually a lot of people from Russia who wrote positive things and who congratulated me. And they said that, like, we all understand this. It's all very sad, of course, but we all understand and you're doing great. And, of course, it was very nice. It was such a difficult moment, actually, because to make such a decision and to leave something very important behind was very difficult. But I had to make it grow. Which of your colleagues supported you? Your sports colleagues? My teammates? The way it happened at the tournament in Charleston. They congratulated me, some couldn't hold their jokes. What kind of jokes? Nice ones. Well, it was a surprise to everyone. Dasha Gavrilova, I actually told her the day before the announcement, otherwise she would have killed me. I thought she herself gave you that idea. No, not really. Well, she did tell me about this opportunity years before. But I would say, Dasha, calm down. And then she says that she knew it! And you didn't tell me, you didn't tell me. She bombarded me with messages and calls for several more days after that. And she was very happy. In general, the WTA, the Federation, by the way, they also wrote to me from different ones. From the Russian one too? No, for some reason they refrained. No, no one from the Russian federation wrote to me. Did you communicate with them before making this decision? No, I haven't talked to them for several years. Why? Well, they don’t talk to me, I don’t talk to them. I do not know. Well, so, the reasons, we might think of many reasons but it would be speculation. There is nothing specific. You parted your ways like ships at sea. Well, I do not know. I've never really had a very warm relationship with the Russian Tennis Federation. I played for myself, I played for the country. But I had no relationship with the tennis federation. What conditions were offered to you in Australia? I know that they sponsor tennis players until they are almost 23 years old, they cover their training expenses, travel expenses and physiotherapy. What kind of agreement did you have? Well, I'm not 23 years old anymore. They have such a system. Something like, say, a series of tournaments. European tournament series, Roland Garros, Madrid, Rome, for example. They are sending a delegation of a certain number of coaches there. And everyone who is in the national team can resort to that help at any time. I have access to that too. If I need it, I can use it. About covering other expenses, I haven’t asked for it and I don't have it. Therefore, the fact that I was given the opportunity to play for Australia is already a huge advantage, and I am very grateful for it. Yes, let's dream a little bit. Let's say you're playing in Melbourne next year. Your first match under the new flag, what do you think, will you struggle? I will. Or maybe I won’t but I have to be prepared for the biggest struggle in my life. You have to be prepared for the worst? Yes, it’s better this way. Better not to think that it’s going to be easy with the support of your fans. I have never seen such support that I see Australian fans give in a match. That is, it's something out of the realm of fiction. What I saw, for example, in France for the French players. Well, actually, if you look at it, Wimbledon is different, or the US Open, for example. That is, there is an unconditional level of support there. I do not know how to explain it. It's the chemistry between the audience, the fans and the player. I've never seen such a scale of support before. And, probably, players who are not from countries where there are such tournaments as the Grand Slam, probably, well, they have never experienced such support. Well, that's it. Therefore, I honestly do not know how it will be when the Australian series is held. It will be interesting, it will be interesting. I'm going to have an interesting new experience. I am curious how I will face it. And how it's going to be, how everything's going to, I guess it’s going to be alright. But it's interesting, of course, to go through this, especially for the first time. 100%. Dasha, in Russia we say that the homeland is where you were born. In Spain, they say the homeland is where you feel good. Which is closer to you? I would say that one does not choose one's homeland. Homeland is where you were born. But home is where you feel good. You've dreamed of winning Roland Garros since you were a child. And to sing the national anthem. Do you know the Australian national anthem? I don't know yet. But I'm learning it. Well, I don't think everyone should know their country's national anthem. Everyone decides for themselves. But for me, it's like, well, a tribute to my country. So yes, I know the Russian national anthem by heart. And I will learn the Australian national anthem. I’ve had a dream. I hope I will reach it one day: to win Roland Garros and to sing the national anthem. If it’s going to happen in a slightly different circumstances, I would still be happy. Life has it’s own plans after all. I had one vision of my dream. Maybe it will still happen with some little changes. You once said in an interview that you and your parents don’t quite agree on many things. Is it still like that? Or something has changed? We started to agree on many things now. In general, we share many opinions. That's what I said many years ago. Time has passed, and I've grown up a little. I probably said that when I was still young and I was exaggerating. My previous opinions might be, as to say, peculiar maybe. After all, time passed, I grew up a little, I started looking at some things differently, and overall, we began to find common ground more with my parents on some topics. Well, of course, when you're younger, it's not as interesting to spend time with your parents and it’s normal. Of course, over time, we seem to be talking more about serious topics. It’s a rare occasion that we don’t share the same view on a topic nowadays. How often do you see each other now? We don't see each other that often. Mom, when she has the opportunity, she tries to come to me. I see her once every three or four months. I haven't seen my dad for a long time because he has hip problems and it's difficult for him to travel. That's why. Well, I can't travel to him, so I haven't seen him in a while. I haven’t seen him for three years already. That’s a long time. My mom is more active, so she comes often. You relocated at such an early age, after all, and how, if you were with your parents, well, at a distance, how did you not break off this connection? Well, because I didn't want it to happen. Nowadays we have the opportunity to stay in touch via video calls. I remember when I was 15 years old, I remember I was annoyed by my parents' constant need to text me. I was like: why are you texting me that often? Don’t you have your own things to attend to? And now it’s different. Now, on the contrary. We keep in touch. My dad has no whatsapp. So we keep in touch with mom. Does your dad have, what, an email? Well, yes, but I usually talk to mom and when I need dad, she just passes the phone. Overall, I text them everyday, discussing little things. If you need to discuss something big, then I call them, yes. Therefore, yes, in this regard. But we are connected more now than in the past, when I was young, a teenager, thinking that I had to be left alone. I know everything myself. I am the princess. Your mom had an opinion about other people criticizing you, she said: Why answer people whose opinions were not asked? That’s a bold statement. Is she always so protective of you? Oh, yes, always. When I was little my mom was always just very protective. That is, if some people said something about me or her friends said something about me, and they have their own opinion about me, my mom was ready to cut those people out of her life. You can't say anything bad about my daughter at all. Has she told you how she’s battling with these negative opinions now? I asked her how she was doing. She says she’s okay. One thing is that they have a very close circle of friends. Mom has already set up her personal boundaries, which, if people want to say something negative, they understand that it's not worth it. That's why parents say that everything is fine, everything is okay. She says she even receives a lot of positive responses too. Supportive. And whenever a negative opinion comes, not even negative, I would say toxic. People there would not share directly what was on their minds. And my mom cuts these things right off. They say a lot there, even when they tell her there, there were just a lot of positive responses. Do you think your dad is proud of you? I think they are both proud of me. My mom loves me and das’s proud of me. Yes, in fact, it has always been important for me that my parents would be proud of me. That is, I always tried to make my parents proud of me, to make the right choice, or to pick the right path so that my parents would be proud of me. I mean, I was doing it for myself, but it was important for me to understand what they would agree with my choices. Well, they're proud of me. And for me, of course, it is very very important. And, well, very very, very cool, yes. Do they tell you that or do you just feel it? They tell me that, many times. Sometimes it's just hard for parents to express it out loud. But your parents are great. Yes, that’s for sure, yes. But I understood it a long time ago. That I am lucky to have my parents. I mean. Of course, nothing is perfect. And everyone, everyone in the family has their own perks. And, of course, we had our disagreements and so on. But looking back, as it were, looking at our family, at how my parents behaved with me there… Well, mom actually gave herself completely, and not just to me, to Sasha too. That is, my mom gave everything she had to her children. I don't yet understand how, honestly, it's a mystery to me, how you can do everything so selflessly for your children. That is amazing. <b>Dasha, do you sing well?</b> <b>No.</b> <b>Well then.</b> <b>That's what you'll say.</b> <b>You'll enjoy the next challenge then.</b> <b>So one song will be playing in your headphones but</b> <b>you'll have to sing another song.</b> <b>I'll have to sing? Well, the, we shall try.</b> <b>As it turnes out this song is the only one</b> <b>which I heard my parents sing in a karaoke.</b> <b>And so I know the notes by heart.</b> <b>It was the only time I saw my dad singing karaoke.</b> <b>Yes, thta's true.</b> <b>And you were the back up singer?</b>