Daria Kasatkina, Russia’s leading tennis player, reflected on her recent run of two consecutive losses after falling to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final of the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi. The remark was reported by sports outlets.
Kasatkina noted that disappointment can sometimes sharpen a player’s edge more than immediate happiness. She recalled a similar moment from two years earlier when she faced defeat on match point against Ons Jabeur in the Rome semifinal. That setback, she believes, helped fuel her belief that she could advance to the Roland Garros semifinals, and it reinforced her conviction that tough finishes in finals could ultimately strengthen her for bigger stages. She expressed optimism that such losses could build resilience and growth.
The Abu Dhabi final, a 1 hour and 11 minute contest, concluded with Rybakina claiming sets 6:1 and 6:4. Earlier, Kasatkina had finished as runner-up in Adelaide, losing to Alena Ostapenko with scores of 3:6 and 2:6.
For Rybakina, the Abu Dhabi title represented the seventh WTA Tour trophy of her career and her second of the current season. She had previously secured the Brisbane WTA 500 event title on January 7. The prize pool for the Abu Dhabi WTA 500 event surpassed $920,000. The defending champion from the previous season was Belinda Bencic, who defeated Lyudmila Samsonova in the final.
Since March 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been prohibited from competing in many international events due to a special military operation affecting Ukrainian territory. This stance aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s recommendations to exclude Russians and Belarusians from international competition. In tennis, players from Russia compete without national flags in most events.
The discussion around Kasatkina’s Abu Dhabi final loss offers a glimpse into how elite athletes process defeat and use it as fuel for future breakthroughs. Analysts suggest that the ability to reframe losses as opportunities to learn can play a critical role in sustaining long-term success on tour. Kasatkina’s approach—acknowledging disappointment while maintaining confidence in upcoming opportunities—fits a broader pattern seen in professional tennis where persistence after finals setbacks becomes a defining trait for champions.