'Yes, mate' - Kasatkina happy in Aussie spearhead role

Perth Now

2 days ago

Daria Kasatkina has made a big impression in her first grand slam as an adopted Aussie, both on and off the court at Roland Garros.
She charmed the Aussie press at the French Open, called everyone "mate", proved open, fascinating and refreshingly honest when expounding on all things tennis and delivered her best performance of the season on her favourite clay courts as she made the last-16 and enjoyed being the last Australian standing.
And if her eventual exit to teen comet Mirra Andreeva proved a step too far, reminding this brilliant 11-year professional that, at 28, it's hard to keep the young tyros at bay, her new allegiance to Australia has put a new spring in her step.
Asked whether she felt she was now in the key years if she's to deliver one of the big prizes, Kasatkina insisted: "Well, you never know. We see a lot of examples where players they're peaking at the later stages of their careers. It's not a rare thing any more.
"Careers are becoming much longer than before, the players more athletic. There is much more focus on recovery, building your body, recovering well, all this sort of stuff that prolongs your career.
"I cannot expect from myself more than what I'm already doing, because I'm trying to squeeze everything I've got in my potential. If it's meant to be, very good. And if I'm giving 100 per cent every single day, I just cannot ask for more. I have to be fair with myself. I have to give a credit for myself."
Could she get back in the top-10, closing in on her best position of sixth? "I've been in top-10 a few times, so I know this feeling. I know more or less what you need to be there. In my case, it's to be super consistent mentally and physically every single week, which is not easy, honestly, because I mean, we have a lot of tournaments in different countries.
"The jet lag, just everything. Sometimes you just wake up and you don't feel the ball. Sometimes you wake up sick. Life happens!" she shrugged.
"But at the end, I think it's important to stay always positive, when you are losing a couple of matches and then you feel that you are so bad.
"It's very easy to get in the hole and very difficult to get out of it, so it's important to always stay on this right path and work hard."
The standard of the women's game has rocketed, she believes. "Tennis is so physical. You know, everyone is athletic. There's no holes in the games of the girls, so it's tough.
"And also, I mean, look at me. I'm not like an unbelievable physical girl, so I have to go out there and work every single day, try to be mentally there because for me, if I'm mentally dropping my level like five percent, I'm already not as competitive as I should be.
"So it's tough, but this is part of the game, and my strength is to be consistent - and this is what I'm trying to do.
Her next stop will be the grass-court season where she's had notable successes, winning in Eastbourne last year and having reached a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018.
And like her evident enjoyment at thriving again in Paris, she looks forward to Wimbledon with special affection as the years continue to roll by.
"This is what I'm trying to enjoy. Because with the years, you're realising that it's not forever. When you're younger, you think it's always probably there, but with the years, it's unfortunately not."
But with Aussies at her back, she smiles: "Yes, mate. I'm honestly enjoying it, I'm already getting used to it..."