Daria Kasatkina has jokingly taken credit for Ashleigh Barty's stunning transformation after defeating the now-retired player in the third round of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.
In her 2022-released autobiography My Dream Time, the three-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she hit rock bottom when she lost that match against the Russian. Despite leading 4-1 in the first set, Barty lost the match 7-5, 6-3. An on-court outburst towards her team and coach Craig Tyzzer forced her to hire mental coach Ben Crowe.
"The issue is that my good is great, but my bad is horrible. When I’m winning, I look like a million bucks but when my tactics aren’t working, I lack the maturity to solve my own problems," Barty wrote in her memoir. "I’m a 22-year-old highly trained professional athlete, but in this moment I decide on a public tantrum.
"Not just at losing the match and losing my sh*t, but losing my dignity too. I shun my closest supporters and cry myself to sleep that night, embarrassed and ashamed.”
Barty retired in March last year. World No. 8 Kasatkina, currently in Abu Dhabi for the WTA 500 tournament, recently shared her thoughts on the match, stating that she understood why Barty reacted in a certain way. The 25-year-old Russian then joked that tennis fans should thank her for playing a part in Barty's transformation.
"I remember that match and I would have had the same attitude because I had like seven or eight net cords on deuce or breakpoints or 30-all," Kasatkina said. "So I know how she was feeling. It was a good match but luck was on my side on that day. I understand what she means. Everyone can say thanks to me because after that, Ash was the big pain in the a** for everyone. It's me."
The journalist who posted Daria Kasatkina's video inserted Taylor Swift's song It's Me from the Midnights album as soon as the tennis player said, "It's me." Kasatkina shared the clip, saying:
"That's exactly the song I was thinking about."
That’s exactly the song I was thinking about😂
Ash Barty wrote in her book that a Wimbledon loss to Daria Kasatkina was her rock bottom and it forced her to reexamine her whole approach to the game and her career. It ultimately led to Barty's transformation. I asked Kasatkina about that match...
