Who Is Daria Kasatkina’s Tennis-Playing Brother? Meet Alexandr, the Man Behind the Russian Star’s Introduction to the Sport

Daria Kasatkina is once again gracing the courts at Eastbourne with her usual magic! To avenge her last year’s defeat on the same ground, the Russian tennis pro is soon going to face off against Leylah Fernandez on the opposite side of the net today! However, as the six-singles title winner goes along with her goal, backing her up and pushing her forward toward her dream will be her ever-supportive brother, Alexandr. Interestingly, her older brother is no stranger to tennis. However, when it comes to his sister, Alexandr had a special role to play in her career.

Daria Kasatkina, born into a family of athletes, was naturally inclined to play tennis at a very young age. However, unlike Kasatkina, her parents, Sergy Kasatkin and Tatyana Kasatkina had passions for different sport. While her father made his mark in ice hockey, her mother embraced athletics and achieved significant recognition in Russia. However, their paths from sports eventually diverged. Sergey, an engineer, worked at the Volga Automotive Plant, while Tatyana became a lawyer. Their older child, Alexandr, found his interest in tennis and started playing it casually.

Then, he wanted to enjoy the sport with his sister Daria, who was only 6 years old at the time. However, there is a twist. Surprisingly, their parents were not initially enthusiastic about letting Daria play tennis. As a result, Alexandr had to convince Sergey and Tatyana to let Daria play. Fortunately, his efforts paid off, and soon Daria Kasatkina was swinging her racquet alongside her brother two or three times a week. 

It went on for two years and after witnessing the exceptional talent of the former World No. 8, things began to settle down. Daria Kasatkina made her professional debut in 2014, at just 17 years old. She proved her talent on-court, achieving her first Roland Garros singles title as a junior and holding a rank of No. 3. Despite her success, she did not leave her brother behind. Although not much is known about him due to his low profile, he serves as a fitness trainer and is frequently found in Kasatkina’s player’s box during her matches.

Nevertheless, there was no stopping for Daria Kasatkina after her incredible junior career in tennis. With motivation and support from her brother and parents, she is now playing exceptionally well at the Eastbourne International and is rightfully “proud of herself.”

Daria Kasatkina reveals her thoughts after qualifying for the finals at the Eastbourne International

After qualifying for the finals at Eastbourne International, 27-year-old Daria Kasatkina has battled through Jasmine Paolini, a French Open finalist, securing her place in the final clash. The 2 hours and 16 minutes long match was not an easy but, she came through and beat her opponent for the first time since 2019. With a 3-3 head-to-head count against Paolini, the Russian said after the match, “It’s never easy to come to the tournament where you have to defend a lot of points, but I’m really happy that I was able to play good and enjoy myself on court, always finding a way to come back in the match. I’m really proud of myself.”

Speaking about her preparation for the final match, she further added, “In the finals, everyone wants to win, so I’ll just go and try to enjoy myself, and let’s see how this final is going to turn out.” With her brother’s support and love, Daria Kasatkina’s is blooming in her career on-court!