Daria Kasatkina recently reflected on her encounter with Serena Williams during the third round of the 2016 Australian Open.
While Kasatkina has established herself as a consistent presence in the upper ranks of women’s tennis over the years, back in 2016, she was still relatively new to the WTA Tour, having turned professional just two years prior.
At the young age of 18, Daria Kasatkina earned a high enough WTA ranking to secure a direct entry into the main draw of the 2016 Australian Open. She comfortably won her first two matches, setting the stage for her inaugural and only meeting with Serena Williams in the third round.
During their match, the 23-time Grand Slam champion dominated the Russian teenager, securing a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory in a mere 47 minutes. Despite the one-sided outcome, Williams shared some kind words with her less experienced opponent during their post-match embrace at the net.
On Wednesday (February 14), the Australian Open’s social media platform revisited this interaction by sharing a video featuring Daria Kasatkina and her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, who were invited to discuss various topics on the Melbourne Slam’s ‘Cinema Sessions’ segment.
In the video, Kasatkina was shown standing in the tunnel ahead of her clash with Williams eight years ago, eliciting a humorous double take from the Russian upon spotting Williams behind her. Kasatkina fondly recalled the moment, adding that Williams had complimented her game after their match.
“I still remember this moment as if it was yesterday,” Kasatkina remarked. “Yeah, she said that she liked my game, probably to play against.”
