ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2026

Daria Kasatkina

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/D. Kasatkina

6-0, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Daria, not the result you were expecting today, but could you please explain your experience at Roland Garros this year and what positives do you take from this?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, I think, as always, could be better, could be worse. I mean, at the end, you know, I won two matches. Today the match, the score of the first set wasn't good, but I think in general, wasn't as bad as the scoreline on the first set shows.

But overall I'm not just talking about this week, but last couple of weeks were very positive, so for me that's very important. Yeah, I'm only taking positives out of the clay court season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What happened in that first set? Were you just not comfortable at the beginning with the court or the play or yourself? Can you explain?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, honestly, it wasn't much about me as well, but she played really, really well, honestly. I couldn't answer back. Let's say, she was playing very aggressive, making a lot of winners, putting a lot of pressure. Plus, we didn't have a rhythm at all, so I basically didn't have many shots to get into the match. She was playing very good.

Yeah, the second set was much better, I would say, from the beginning. A little bit I got the idea of what's going on, how her ball is coming to me, you know, because her ball is also very uncomfortable. It's very fast. In these fast conditions, it's bouncing very fast to you.

To control this ball, it's not easy. So, yeah, in the first set it was more difficult, but I think second set was way better.

Q. Daria, now that you've come through this difficult period, do you see a lot of encouragement going forward for the rest of the season, particularly going into the hard courts -- the grass? Is that your forte, would you say?

DARIA KASATKINA: Honestly, as I said, I can only take the positive out of the clay court season, because the position I was in before even, I don't know, let's say, Madrid was pretty bad, honestly.

I think I saved myself in these couple of weeks, you know, playing a lot of matches, winning a lot of matches as well. Even not playing good most of the times, it's very important still to feel this feeling of winning. Plus, you know, winning a couple of matches on the Grand Slam gives you another boost of energy.

So, yeah, now I'll get couple of days off and get back to work and preparing for grass starting in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Q. Last year you were the last Australian standing, and you are again this year. It probably doesn't mean very much to you, but...

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, so good to stand the last, huh? You're standing the last as well (laughing).

Q. But you wouldn't have expected that a few weeks ago before that tournament in La Bisbal. Would you have said then that were you almost writing off the clay court season?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah, before La Bisbal, honestly, things were pretty bad. So they started to get better, you know, after that week. Even during that week on the tournament, I mean, I wasn't myself on court. I couldn't find the way how to, you know, win the matches without drama. I was just trying to win balls, to win points somehow.

Now I'm getting back the idea how I want to play. I see the game more clear right now. I can think during I play. There I couldn't think. It was just pure survival.

Q. Do you think these extreme weather conditions are affecting not only the performance of everyone, but maybe many good performers are having big troubles from the very top three, four, like now Anisimova lost. Do you think there is a limit you would say it's better another hour or to find a solution, because it's very strong, the weather?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, honestly, yeah, I mean, this year the weather in Paris, it's very unusual. Normally we never experience, you know, such hot conditions for a week. Maybe some days, but for a week, I don't remember.

Of course, that's affecting. We can see that it's additional factor. Like some of the matches, weather is beating players, you know? Not the player is beating another player.

This is part of the game, because we've got places where it's way hotter than here. It's hot here, but to be honest, it's not like super extreme. It's close, but it's not super extreme.

For example, Cincinnati every year is way worse. Plus, it's a hard court, so it feels even hotter.

Australia, I mean, it sometimes can be, like, 45 degrees. I mean, we've got some really tough places where it's too warm maybe, I can say.

I mean, this time it's unusual. I think why players are struggling is because we're all coming from the tournaments where the weather was 15 degrees, not more than 20, and then when you go from plus-20 to 32, the jump is too big, so your body is not adapted.

I think that was one of the main problems. When you're in Australia, for example, you're playing one month in these conditions. We don't see as much troubles, so yeah.

Q. On a scale of 1 to 10 when you were really struggling, where would you say you were on that scale, and now compared to now, where would you say you're on that scale?

DARIA KASATKINA: I was before 2, where 1 is I want to kill myself (laughing). I was on 2. Now I would say I'm somewhere -- I mean, I'm not talking about game-wise where it's, like, also difficult to judge. I would say more about how I feel about myself being on court, I would say it's between 6 and 7. Depends on the day, you know, but it's more stable, way more stable now.

I need to add more matches, more wins, feeling that I'm the one who is, like, you know, most of the times in charge of the game. Yeah, but this is really small details. I would say, like, the base... I don't want to, you know... I want to touch the wood. I want to say it's there-there, but I feel way better than I felt a couple of months ago.

Q. Just on the point, you were talking about the weather and the conditions and the heat, et cetera, and your points are valid going from a cooler situation coming in over here compared to Australia for the full month, but do you feel the tours, the majors all maybe need to look at the whole heat rule aspect, because generally things are warming? You've got the situation in Australia where the roof can be closed. Should that have happened over here as well? Do you think there needs to be a complete relook at the whole heat rule?

DARIA KASATKINA: Honestly, in a perfect world, yes. But, honestly, I don't know how we can apply this to the slams, because I mean, at Australian Open we have three courts with the roof. Let's say it's 40 degrees. They're closing the roof, but others, are they stopping to play and they continue when? I mean, I've been through this situation.

For example, at the beginning they stopped the matches because it was impossible to play because of the heat, and then it was raining two days straight after that. So they could only play on these three courts where basically only top players are able to play. So all other draw has to stay two days indoors waiting for matches to resume.

So some of the players were already in the third round where most of the draw didn't even pass the first round. I mean, that's also unfair.

To be honest, I don't have a solution (laughing). I mean, unfortunately, because tennis is mostly outdoor sport, so all our facilities are built outdoors. We've got maybe couple of courts with the roof, but at the end of the day, I mean, it's just a couple of courts.

If you're playing a first week of the slam, most of the matches are on outside courts. Honestly, I have no idea how we can...

I saw Novak was talking about, for example, to go over midnight sometimes, you know, to continue matches, like, at the night, but I don't know if it's also a good solution.

Honestly, I don't have a solution. It's very difficult topic. Yes, it's impossible to play in those conditions, but then if we don't play, like, what? Let's say the weather like this is going to stay for two weeks. Are we not playing at all? I don't have a solution. I don't know.

Q. Just to go back, some of us don't see you all that often. At the end of last year, clearly you had this tough time, and you said, you know, you're close to breaking points and what have you. Now, never mind the form on court, but off court is everything hunky-dory? Do you feel happier now, much happier than you did back at the end of last year?

DARIA KASATKINA: Off court, incredible. So good. Off court, cannot complain, honestly. I was saying the only problems comes from the on-court stuff. I want it to stay this way, honestly.

But, yeah, when I'm not playing tennis, I'm super happy person, obviously. When I don't have to think about tennis, I am so fun (laughing). As soon as I'm stepping on court, this is where the tough part comes.

I mean, I've got my dreams, my goals, which I want to achieve. When it's not going as I want, I'm getting disappointed. You know, it's pressure and everything. That's normal.

I just watched Rafa's documentary. I mean, he was struggling as well having 24 Grand Slams. 22, sorry. 22 Grand Slams.

Yeah, we are all facing some type of tough moments. So, I mean, that's okay, I think.

Q. But a few weeks ago you were at your lowest ranking for 11 years. You're shooting back up again. It looks as though things are picking up.

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, I hope so. Let's see. Honestly, I'm just a little bit changed my perspective. A lot of things changed in my life in the last two years, so I needed to fix that as well, you know, get more stable mentally, you know, like settle down a little bit. Now I'm settled.

Finally, you know, I can just work, play tennis, and try to be as calm as I can, because it's difficult because when the things are not going the way you wanted and you give all your life to that, I mean, it's tough to accept sometimes. You know, there is always a sunrise.