The No. 1 in Russian women's tennis, Daria Kasatkina, currently 12th in the world, announced that she was in a relationship with a woman in an interview published on Monday where she denounced the prevalent homophobia in Russia.

“It's difficult and there's no point in staying in the closet for long,” she says in this interview, shot in Spain and broadcast on the channel of a Youtubeur, Vitia Kravtchenko.

“You'll have knots in your brain until you say it.

Afterwards, it's clear that everyone must choose how they want to open up and to what extent.

The most important thing is to be good with yourself, ”adds the 25-year-old sportswoman, now openly lesbian.

She also regrets that this subject is “banned” in Russia.

“There are even more important topics that are banned, so it's no wonder.

The player also says that "choosing to be gay" makes life more difficult "especially in Russia".

Homosexuality was considered a crime in Russia until 1993 and a mental illness until 1999. Russian LGBT people are often the subject of hostility, violence and sometimes even murder.

Extremely harsh LGBT situation in Russia

Daria Kasatkina's statements come as Russian lawmakers proposed a new bill on Monday that would ban the dissemination of information "about non-traditional sexual relationships" to any type of audience.

A law passed in 2013 against homosexual "propaganda" has so far prohibited the dissemination of such information to minors.

Many LGBT + NGOs claim that this law serves as a pretext to persecute homosexuals, in a country where Vladimir Putin and the Orthodox Church advocate traditional values ​​in the face of a West presented as degenerate.

A few hours after posting her interview on Youtube, Daria Kasatkina posted a photo on her Instagram account showing her with a young woman.

This publication is accompanied by a simple heart in the comment.

Daria Kasatkina becomes the first WTA top 15 player to come out.

Amélie Mauresmo, was "only" 29th during hers, in 1999.

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  • Tennis

  • Women's Tennis

  • Lesbian

  • LGBT movement

  • Russia

  • Coming out

  • Sport