Top Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina has been outspoken in her opposition to the war in Ukraine, and her stance has brought her some prominent supporters.
Kasatkina is the top-ranked Russian women’s player, sitting at No. 9 in the WTA rankings, and took to the court on Sunday night for her fourth-round match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina with a notable anti-war advocate in her box.
Popular Russian singer Zemfira, who fled the country over her opposition to the war, was seen in Kasatkina’s box as she lost 6-4, 7-6 to Svitolina.
Zemfira was declared a “foreign agent” by the Russian government in February 2022.
According to the Human Rights Watch, in Russia, the term “foreign agent” is tantamount to “spy” or “traitor.”
Popular Russian singer Zemfira was in Daria Kasatkina’s box at the French Open on June 4, 2023.REUTERSA Justice Ministry statement at the time placed her on a list of foreign agents on the basis that she “openly supported Ukraine, held concerts in unfriendly countries while speaking against the special military operation and received support from foreign sources.”
Zemfira, whose full name is Zemfira Ramazanova, is an ethnic Volga Tatar from the central region of Bashkortostan, and has been performing since the turn of the century.
She has been a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, and reportedly left the country for France in 2022.
The 46-year-old has sold over three million records, and won the Best Russian Act award at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Zemfira has been declared a “foreign agent” by Russia.REUTERSShe posted a photo to Instagram last week which showed her posing alongside Kasatkina and Olympic figure skater Natalia Zabiiako.
Russia’s “foreign agent” laws were implemented in response to protests against Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency after the 2012 election, in which he won 64.35 per cent of the vote, 47 percent more than the next candidate.
Expanded in 2017 to apply to media organizations, in 2019 to private individuals and in 2021 to Russian citizens who criticize the military or security services, the laws have been criticized internationally as violating human rights and as a tool to suppress press freedom and civil society.
Those labelled foreign agents are often subject to police searches, among other punitive measures, and many have been forced to leave the country as a result.
Russia’s Daria Kasatkina playing in the fourth round of the French Open against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina on June 4, 2023.REUTERSKasatkina herself has been threatened with the designation herself, with Russian State Duma member Roman Teryushkov applying to the Justice Ministry to have her black-listed for her criticisms of the country after the invasion of Ukraine.
In a series of interviews on YouTube published in July last year, Kasatkina described the war as “a full-blown nightmare,” and described the end of the war as what she wanted most in life, while also coming out as gay.
Kasatkina said she wanted to train and play against players “who don’t have to worry about being bombed”.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to have no home,” Kasatkina said.
Zemfira and Daria Kasatkina have both been outspoken against the Ukraine war.REUTERSSvitolina’s victory sets up a politically charged quarterfinal clash against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who has been combative in her responses to questioning on the war.
Belarus has been a key ally of Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, allowing Russian troops to station in its territory and with the initial attack launched out of Belarus.
Sabalenka boycotted her last press conference on Friday after beating Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in their third round fixture, previously claiming she “did not feel safe” when previously questioned about the war and her close relationship with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
On Wednesday she was asked why in 2020 she “signed a letter to support Lukashenko” when “he was torturing and beating up protesters” in the street.
“I have no comments to you, so thank you for your question,” Sabalenka replied.
Zemfira in Daria Kasatkina’s box at the French Open.AFP via Getty Images The quarterfinal shapes as the first meeting between Sabalenka and Svitolina since the invasion, with both players refusing to shake hands with players on the other side of the war throughout the tournament.
Svitolina did not shake hands with Russians Anna Blinkova or Kasatkina in her third and fourth round matches, while her compatriot Marta Kostyuk also didn’t shake hands after being beaten by Sabalenka in the opening round.
