ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL

June 29, 2024

Daria Kasatkina

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

D. KASATKINA/L. Fernandez

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Dasha. Another career title for you, your first on grass. Just talk us through how you're feeling right now.

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, I feel very relieved, I would say, because it's been not the best trip for me in terms of losing in the finals. So I'm really happy today. Yeah, also to get my first title on grass, it's great.

Yeah, just really happy today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats, dash. Did you feel anything was different going into today's final compared to the finals that you referenced maybe coming out on the other end of?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, of course (smiling). Now it feels great. I just feel like I put down some very heavy backpack, even though I understand that playing fourth final, yeah, fourth final of the year, it's a great achievement. Still, if you don't win, you have a very bitter, you know, feeling after that.

So, yeah, doesn't matter how you win this final, it's nobody gonna remember that, even though I think the match was pretty good, it's just, yeah, just have this trophy in your hands, and it's all that matter.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about the match today? Tighter, I think, than maybe the score even shows, some of those big games, being able to hold. What was your assessment of it and what was the key?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah, the match was full of things, even the first set was 6-3. We had, in the same game, two stops. I hope the ladies are okay. I actually asked the medical team. They say it's all fine. So that's good.

Yeah, in the third [sic] set, it's been a roller coaster. Honestly didn't feel great being 3-0 up and then 3-4 down in five minutes, ten minutes.

Yeah, but I'm proud of myself how I stayed there, how I didn't, you know, lose my mind, because was pretty easy, I was 3-4 down, returning with new balls against the wind.

So that could be, yeah, a very tough moment, and it was a tough moment, but really happy how I overcome this situation.

Q. Congratulations on the win. You said in your acceptance speech how much you like Eastbourne. How nice is it that you won your first grass court title here, having made the final last year?

DARIA KASATKINA: It feels great. I mean, I also like the trophy so much. It's, yeah, I'm not like obsessed, but I love beautiful trophies.

So in this one, in the UK particularly, I think because of the history and stuff, you have here very nice trophies. So really happy to get this one. Unfortunately cannot get exactly this one. It's going to stay here. They give me another one, okay (smiling).

Yeah, what I was saying... Yeah, just really happy to win in Eastbourne, especially after reaching the finals last year and being in the finals again now, and was tough to go on the court today knowing that, as I said before, there is a backpack with being a finalist for such a long time.

Yes, now feeling like I can fly.

Q. You also promised the crowd that you'd be back next year. The tournament goes from a 500 to a 250 next year. Does that change anything for you?

DARIA KASATKINA: Let's see. We've got interesting rules in WTA with the top 30s cannot play wherever they want, let's say. So we're going to be pretty limited.

I love Eastbourne. I would be happy to come back again here. But with all the rules, even if can't happen that even if I want to, I just cannot.

So I'm really disappointed that this tournament goes downgraded from 500 to 250, because deserves to be 500. Also Bad Homburg is a really good tournament. They deserve to be 500 too. This tournament is great. Also it's very close to London. You play in the same day, if you want, can be in London, which I'm gonna do (smiling).

Yeah, that was really disappointing news, and I would say I'm not agree with the decision, and they just put us in the fact that it's happening. Well, I wouldn't change. Also the Birmingham used to be 500, now it's 250. It's going to be 125 next year. I don't know why. I don't know what's the reason for that. But for me, that's a bit sad.

Q. I tried to see what you wrote on the camera today. Seemed like quite a long piece of writing that you did. Could you tell us what you wrote on the camera and what it meant to you?

DARIA KASATKINA: I don't know what's going on with me. Second day in a row I'm making mistakes in spelling.

Q. It was a correction?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yesterday was a correction. Today I didn't even mind. I just said, okay. I say, "Watch What the Vlog this week," and Eastbourne with a heart. So finally it's going to be the vlog about with a title. Yes, so yes.

Q. You're up to No. 8 in the live WTA race.

DARIA KASATKINA: (Expressing shock.)

Q. That's big, right?

DARIA KASATKINA: I knew (smiling).

Q. You knew?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah.

Q. Glad I didn't break that to you. That's going to be great in terms of moving on the rest of the season, and obviously a goal of yours would be to get to the WTA Finals, I assume?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, we're quite deep in the season already, but still there is a long way to go, five months (laughter).

Yeah, so still we have two more slams to go and quite a lot of 1000s. Anything can happen in these few months. For the moment, position is not bad, but honestly, before this tournament I was not even thinking about the Finals. I don't think that now I can start think about it. It's still very long way to go.

Yeah, I'm just happy that I'm quite stable this year. The most important to stay healthy is the most important, because calendar is very packed, and it's tough to stay mentally healthy and physically as well.

So I have to take care of this too. Yeah, at the end of the season, what happen will happen. Now I'm happy how it goes. Yeah, hope for better, enjoy what we have now.