A brave champion caps a wonderful week for Silicon Valley Classic – San Francisco Chronicle
Women’s tennis made a statement in the Bay Area this week.
It is healthy, fun, popular. And full of surprises.
The Silicon Valley Classic showcased talented, young athletes, packed houses and global story lines.
The woman who won the tournament, Russian Daria Kasatkina, wasn’t the biggest name in the field. But she may have been the most interesting story. She is the highest ranked Russian woman in the game yet a few weeks ago she did two things to anger her country: she came out as gay and she spoke out strongly against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
So not only the highest ranked but the bravest. And a fitting champion for a tournament originally founded by trailblazer Billie Jean King.
“I wish you love and happiness,” said Kasatkina, who fell to the court at the end of the match, then jumped up and hugged her girlfriend, “and peace in the world.”
The crowd roared.
Sunday’s final was another sellout session with 2,250 fans packing into the temporary tennis stadium on the San Jose State campus, helping the event set an attendance record in San Jose.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Daria Kasatkina of Russia holds the trophy after defeating Shelby Rogers in the singles finale at Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, part of the Hologic WTA Tour, at Spartan Tennis Complex on August 07, 2022 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Carmen Mandato / Getty Images
When the tournament moved from Stanford in 2018 there was some question about how fans would respond. Attendance lagged and there was no tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic.
But this year’s rebound – and four consecutive days of sellout sessions and a venue record of 23,250 – speaks not only to the end of COVID restrictions but also to the health of the women’s game.
The tournament was full of surprises. Maybe not the good kind if you really wanted to see Coco Gauff or Naomi Osaka in the final. But the final between unseeded Rogers – who had ousted the top seed Maria Sakkari – and seventh-seeded Kasatkina was plenty entertaining.
After coming back from a 4-2 deficit to win a tiebreak in the first set, Rogers faded. Kasatkina overcame her shaky serve with her athleticism and stamina to dominate the final two sets.
The crowd was pro-Rogers, not only because she was an American playing a Russian but also because she has never won a singles title in 13 years as a pro.
“A winner is just a loser that doesn’t quit,” a teary Rogers said after her match. “Hopefully I’ll be back here.”
Kasatkina made the semifinals of the French Open, losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek. But she was banned from playing at Wimbledon due to her nationality and the fallout over the Ukraine invasion.
But that didn’t prevent her from making news in July. In a video interview with a Russian tennis vlogger Vitya Kravchenko, shot in Barcelona where Kasatkina currently lives and trains, she was forthright and brave.
She came out as gay, revealing that she has a girlfriend. And she took a bold stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “full-blown nightmare,” one that she thinks about every day.
Both statements – about her sexuality and her anti-war stance – are extremely problematic for a Russian national. Vladimir Putin has banned any criticism of Ukraine invasion, as well as virtually all LBGTQ advocacy in Russia.
On the video, Kasatkina expressed doubt that gay Russians could ever live openly.
“Seriously, if it’s a choice nobody would choose to be gay – why make your life harder, especially in Russia?” she said. “But living in peace with yourself is the only thing that matters.”
During the Silicon Valley Classic, Kasatkina said she felt freer since coming out and posting a picture of her girlfriend – figure skater Natalia Zabiako – with the caption “my cutie pie.”
“I have nothing to hide,” she said.
But she wasn’t as eager to repeat her views on Ukraine, saying she wasn’t as comfortable speaking about the issue in English and that it was easier for her to discuss it in her native language.
On the video, spoken in Russian but captioned in English, Kasatkina said her strongest wish was “for the war to end…We can’t change events. It makes you feel powerless.”
She spoke with empathy about Ukrainian athletes who have nowhere to train.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to have no home,” she said.
But the reality is that Kasatkina may have no home country after her comments.
Kravchenko asked her if she was afraid she would never be able to go back to Russia.
“Yes, I have thought about it,” she said. And then broke down in tears.
This week, she found a home in San Jose.
Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion