'I don't regret it, even 1%': Back at Wimbledon, Daria Kasatkina reflects on her eventful year

WATCH: Ahead of Wimbledon, Daria Kasatkina reached the final of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.

Daria Kasatkina opened up to The Sunday Times on the eve of Wimbledon, where she'll be competing for the first time since 2021, about the eventful nature of her past year, saying she has no regrets about coming out of the closet and openly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine—even if means she can never return home.

The lengthy feature, written by Tom Kershaw from an interview conducted last week at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, begins with an anecdote of an interaction between Kasatkina and a Ukrainian spectator: The fan stopped her for a photograph, commended her courage and asked for a hug, per Kershaw's reporting.

The moment is a microcosm of what Kasatkina has experienced since making her declarations last spring: She has been roundly praised by the majority, both inside tennis and outside it, and credited for her courage even by her Ukrainian peer, Elina Svitolina.

“I want to be able to respect myself when I look in the mirror, and if being a good person means that I have to sacrifice my home, that’s my choice,” she says afterwards. “That person hugging me meant a lot because it was a big risk for me to condemn the war, especially considering my parents are still there, but I couldn’t just stay silent and pretend everything’s OK.”

Twelve months ago, Kasatkina and her fellow Russians, and Belarusians, were banned from competing at Wimbledon as a consequence of their countries' invasion of Ukraine. Returning to British soil for the first time in two years to finish as runner-up to Madison Keys in Eastbourne, Kasatkina was applauded heartily by fans throughout the week.

She noticed it too, as she praised the "respectful" crowds she encountered in her finalist's speech.

“It was difficult but honestly I was just thankful we could play in all the other WTA tournaments,” she said of last year's ban. “It’s tough because you feel like you’re getting punished for something I didn’t do, and that I actually don’t personally agree with my country doing, but they can’t make exceptions.”

Kasatkina also told Kershaw that she hasn't returned home to Russia since the war broke out last February. Becoming a nomad, she says, has been tough, if not for the support of her traveling family and her girlfriend, figure skater Natalia Zabiiako.

“It’s unsafe for me now, with the regime we have. As a gay person who opposes the war, it’s not possible to go back,” she says. “But I don’t regret it even 1%. When the war started and everything turned to hell, I felt very overwhelmed and I just decided, ‘F* it all.’ I couldn’t hide any more.

"I wanted to say my position on the war and my [sexuality], which was tough, coming from a country where being gay is not accepted, but it felt like I had a backpack of stones on my shoulders and I just had to throw it off. Afterwards, I faced a few consequences, but the only thing that worried me was my parents, and they were fine. They are proud of me.

“I’m much happier now. I really struggle with traveling and being away from home, and it’s only because I really love tennis that I can accept it. If it was for money, it wouldn’t work out. It helps a lot to have this love and support with me because I don’t really know where my home is anymore.

“Before the war started, I never appreciated the chance to go back. I always wanted to leave and live abroad. It’s only when it’s taken away you realize how much you need it. I can definitely separate the government from the country as my homeland and the bad thing is, even when this war finishes, we don’t know how it’s going to end up, particularly in Russia, and if I will be able to go back or not. Being myself was not an easy choice.”

Seeded No. 11 at the All England Club, where she reached the quarterfinals in 2018, Kasatkina opens her tournament Monday against American Caroline Dolehide.