Daria Kasatkina has never been one to hide behind polite phrasing, and she is not starting now. In a thoughtful YouTube-interview with Tennis Australia, the former Top 10 player offered a clear-eyed assessment of modern tennis — and lobbed a grenade into the ongoing men-versus-women debate at Grand Slams.
According to Kasatkina, the women’s game has quietly become the more compelling watch. Not because of hype or novelty, but because the margins are brutal and the battles relentless.
A Tour Where Nothing Comes Easy Anymore
Kasatkina traced the shift back to her own beginnings. When she broke onto the tour in 2015, matches could still be won with a limited playbook. That era, she insists, is long gone.
“Now it just doesn’t work anymore,” she said. “Every match is a super hard battle.”
What has changed is not just power, but completeness. Kasatkina argued that the old labels — defensive grinders versus aggressive shot-makers — no longer hold. Everyone now hits hard, everyone moves well, and everyone can flip defense into attack in a blink. When opponents can neutralize 200 km/h serves and immediately seize control of rallies, there is simply no margin for a loose ball.
Why Women’s Matches Have Felt More Watchable
Kasatkina then went further, suggesting that recent women’s matches at the Slams have often outshone the men’s for sustained entertainment. She acknowledged the backlash such a claim might invite, but stood by it.
Her reasoning was pointed. Men’s tennis is often remembered through the lens of its finals, especially best-of-five epics like the Sinner–Alcaraz Roland Garros decider. Those matches are unforgettable. But Kasatkina questioned how entertaining the two weeks leading up to them really were.
By contrast, she believes the women’s draws have delivered tension and variety throughout the tournament, not just at the business end. Shorter formats force urgency, while the depth of the field ensures few straightforward afternoons.
The Best-of-Five Question Isn’t About Fitness
When the discussion turned to whether women should adopt best-of-five sets, Kasatkina was unequivocal on one point: physical ability is not the issue. Players could handle it.
The real problem, she suggested, is logistics and appetite. Extending women’s matches would stretch tournaments, disrupt scheduling, and risk exhausting audiences. Outside of Slam finals, she questioned whether fans truly want five-set contests on a daily basis.
“There’s a history of incredible best-of-five matches,” she said, “but people get tired of watching.”
It is a pragmatic view, grounded less in ideology than in calendars, attention spans, and the realities of modern sport consumption.
Brisbane Next as Kasatkina Opens Her Season
Kasatkina will soon turn theory back into practice at the Brisbane International, where she opens her season in a loaded field featuring Aryna Sabalenka, Amanda Anisimova, and Elena Rybakina. Last year she reached the quarterfinals, falling to eventual champion Sabalenka.
Whether or not fans agree with her conclusions, Kasatkina’s comments cut through the noise. They reflect a tour that has grown faster, deeper, and less forgiving — and a player unafraid to say that, right now, women’s Slam tennis deserves more credit than it gets.
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