Daria Kasatkina documents the unglamorous side of grass-court tennis in latest vlog

FLASHBACK: Rublev and Kasatkina speak out in Russian vlog interview | The Break

Daria Kasatkina and Natalia Zabiiako are more than just another tennis couple with a joint social media account. Their YouTube channel, “Zabiiako & Kasatkina” has become almost mandatory viewing during the 2023 season for the honest and in-depth look it provides at real life on the WTA Tour.

In the latest episode, Kasatkina and girlfriend Zabiiako take fans behind the scenes at the bett1open, presented by ecotrans Group, a 500-level event held at the quaint Rot-Weiss Tennis Club in Berlin. The smaller facilities and quiet atmosphere make for a stark change of pace when compared to the glitzy European clay season—though it’s not always smooth sailing.

“Here there are not too many facilities that I can show you,” Zabiiako explains in a voice over. “That’s why this episode will be a kind of ‘life’ life episode. Not every tournament is a huge tennis event, but every tournament is ‘life’—and I share my life with this amazing person.”

The episode features a chat with Katie Volynets, an American player with Ukrainian heritage. The pair interview her in Russian, which Volynets speaks fluently—albeit with a slight American accent—much to Kasatkina’s delight. Viewers are also brought along as Kasatkina goes for an Adidas store shopping spree with her sponsor’s credit card, with the Lionel Messi fan picking up another Argentina National Football Team jersey, along with a few other essentials.

The pair also shed light on the less glamorous aspect of the pro tennis tour, including a few organizational issues they noticed after playing in Berlin for a second year.

“They definitely improved some things [since last year], but a lot of things, like the restaurant, stayed the same,” Kasatkina says. “But it’s okay, grass-court tournaments are not easy to organize. And the courts are pretty good, much better than other tournaments.”

Kasatkina’s grass-court debut in Berlin ultimately didn’t go according to plan, with the world No. 11 being stunned in the first round by qualifier Elina Avanesyan 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7). In doubles, Kasatkina partnered with German veteran Sabine Lisicki and reached the quarterfinals. She is currently into the second round in Eastbourne, and faces Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

Russia’s top-ranked player, Kasatkina holds a 16-14 record on the season after reaching the final in Adelaide, quarterfinals at Abu Dhabi and the semifinals in Charleston. Kasatkina came out last July, and revealed her relationship with Zabiiako, a former Olympic figure skater, in a vlog interview (see video above).

The pair have been documenting life on the WTA Tour since last year’s off-season, sharing their behind-the-scenes musings at various tournaments and pulling players and staff aside for interviews for their 15,000+ subscribers.