Daria Kasatkina details social media abuse after win at WTA Elite Trophy

ZHUHAI, China – Daria Kasatkina made history on Thursday by becoming the first player to reach the semifinals of the WTA Elite Trophy. However, her achievement was marred by a wave of social media abuse directed towards her.

The sixth-seeded Kasatkina triumphed over 11th-seeded Magda Linette with a score of 6-3, 6-4. In response to her victory, she took to X to share her ordeal, stating that the abuse she receives
“is completely out of control.”

She bravely included an image featuring some of the derogatory messages she had received, shedding light on the severity of the problem.

Kasatkina’s journey began with a memorable win over top-seeded Barbora Krejcikova in the Azalea group’s round-robin match. Unfortunately, both Krejcikova and Linette were eliminated from further contention.

In another thrilling encounter, third-seeded Jelena Ostapenko staged an impressive comeback to defeat Donna Vekic 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, securing a victory in the opening match of the Orchid group. Vekic’s loss resulted in her elimination from the tournament.

Ostapenko’s next challenge will be against Chinese player Zheng Qinwen, who defeated Vekic in their initial match. The outcome of this match will determine the group winner and who advances to the next stage.

Later in the day, fourth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova was scheduled to play her tournament debut against Chinese wild card Zhu Lin.

Featuring the 11 highest-ranked singles players who missed qualification for the upcoming WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, this 12-player tournament marks the first postseason event on the women’s tour. Zhu, ranked 37th, secured the final spot as a wild card entry.

The players have been divided into four groups, with each group consisting of three participants. The winner of each group will progress to the semifinals taking place on Saturday. The tournament will ultimately conclude with the final scheduled for Sunday.