Australia's Daria Kasatkina on Youth Olympic memories, and the joy of making YouTube vlogs

It has been over a decade since Daria Kasatkina competed at the Youth Olympic Games of Nanjing 2014, and a lot has changed since.

The tennis player went on to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics, won the 2020-21 Billie Jean King Cup with Russia before switching to represent Australia, where she has settled since leaving her birth country.

Kasatkina made the podium in the People’s Republic of China 11 years ago, where she took the girls’ doubles silver medal alongside Anastasiya Komardina. So, when Olympics.com ask her to recount her days in Nanjing, what stands out?

“It was a great experience,” Kasatkina replies, “After that, the Olympics in Rio [were] very similar in terms of the Olympic Village, the structure of the venues and everything. I remember that we had fun there.

“When you're a junior, wherever you go your friends are here like your teammates, you will have fun anyway. I remember we played the mixed doubles with [Andrey] Rublev, we had a chance. He won singles in three sets cramping so he couldn't stand for the doubles - at least we got a medal in doubles.”

Like Kasatkina, two-time Youth Olympic medallist Rublev has gone on to become an established player, a mixed doubles champion at Tokyo 2020 in 2021. They may have missed out on Youth Olympic gold together – the top seeds lost in the second round to the eventual silver medallists - yet it was an experience that taught a valuable lesson.

The 28-year-old explains, “That was the moment we realised that it doesn't matter - in singles, doubles or mixed doubles - if you get a medal, it's all right.” That medal remains at her parents’ house, along with most of Kasatkina’s junior and professional career trophies. “I know they will take good care of them,” she says, “I am calm this way.”

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