Daria Kasatkina, the world`s 14th-ranked tennis player, who switched her sports citizenship from Russian to Australian in March, has shared her thoughts on how she reacts to online hate. She discussed this in a podcast with Caroline Garcia, recorded in February during the Doha tournament.
– Does criticism from the media and fans affect you?
– It used to affect me more. I would read it and think they were telling the truth. But that`s not the case (smiles). Obviously, it`s not true, but with age, you realize they are talking about themselves, not about me. But sometimes it`s still hard to handle because you read someone writing: `Useless, can`t play, can`t do this, can`t do that.` You always want to respond. Especially after defeats, when there are many emotions, you want to explode. But then you forget about it.
That`s why I close comments before a match or tournament. Because it`s madness. People are sick. I don`t understand how there can be so much hatred in someone. Of course, I consider that they have no logic, but even if you think about it: you take your money, choose to bet on me, on a tennis match, which never guarantees 100% that the bet will win. I lose, you also lose. And you blame me.
When you first encounter hate, it`s like your rose-colored glasses completely shatter. You think: what`s happening? Are people really that awful? And yes, they are that awful, – Kasatkina noted.
