"I don't understand how you can be so hateful" - Daria Kasatkina on receiving offensive remarks via social media

Having your personal life exposed to the public is one of the downsides of being a professional athlete. Despite spending several years on the WTA Tour, tennis star Daria Kasatkina still finds herself surprised at some comments left for her and other athletes on social media.

The Russian-born tennis player recently changed citizenship, and now plays under the flag of Australia. Kasatkina is one of the few Russian players who has openly condemned Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and has often been the victim of online harassment not just for her beliefs but also from people who gamble on her matches.

In an appearance on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, co-hosted by fellow WTA star Caroline Garcia, Kasatkina spoke on how she deals with the negative criticism and hateful comments she receives, particularly from people who bet on her matches.

"That's why I'm like closing the comments," said Kasatkina when asked how she deals with online trolls. "For my matches or the tournaments, I'm closing my comments on Instagram because that's crazy. The people there (on Instagram) are sick.
"I don't understand how you can be so hateful. They don't have a logic, that's obvious. If you take your money, you choose me to bet on a tennis match that never gives you 100% probability of winning. I lost, you lost and then you're blaming me for choosing the wrong horse."