Top 5 Must-Follow Accounts of 2023, No. 3: From puppy posts to tennis takes, Daria Saville keeps it real

For Daria Saville, what started as a platform to showcase one of WTA's cutest guest stars has evolved into an integral part of the sport's social media landscape. The Russian-born Aussie, a former Top 20 player, ranks near the top of the game's most genuine personalities, and that status has extended to her online presence.

Saville's TikTok, @dasha_tofu (a nod to her adorable dachshund, who stars in many of her videos) is a treasure trove for avid and casual tennis fans alike. She strikes a perfect balance of humor and earnestness in her commentary, and more often than not, you'll come away after watching a clip (or 15, in a row!) having learned something. (Ever wonder how tennis players pack for a long spell on the road?)

Sidelined for six months this year as a result of a torn ACL (her second such injury in her career), Saville leaned in fully to what was her part-time job: She painstakingly chronicled all the stages of her physical therapy, rehabilitation, and return to action, while sprinkling in a full buffet of puppy posts. (In January, for example, she took Tofu for a tour of the Australian Open, where he picked up a scrapbook of star-studded photos that would make any fan swoon.)

Saville returned to tennis in the summer, but that didn't stop the frequency of her posting. In July, she made her first semifinal after surgery in Hamburg, and took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt tribute in gratitude to all who helped her get back on court.

In August, her patented humor returned, too: She polled her TikTok audience about what to wear for her first-round match at the US Open, and made a joke at her own expense after losing 6-3, 6-4 to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in round two.

"There won’t be a get ready with me for the third round of US Open video lo," Saville cheekily wrote.

But Saville's social presence isn't just making tennis better online. Last November, Wimbledon announced that it would relax its all-white clothing rules for 2023 in response to anxiety from WTA players about competing while menstruating. The news came a few months after Saville dropped a viral TikTok about the mental (and physical) toll about what it's like to play on her period.

"I was like ‘maybe that helped!’,’’ Saville told Aussie sportswriter Linda C. Pearce in June. “Girls started talking about it on social media, then I kinda replied – talking about my experience and how some of us girl tennis players in the locker-room, especially between our friends, would be like, ‘Can you check my skirt? Is it all good?’ So things like that.

"“That’s just my personality. I’m always very open and I don’t shy away from being a woman and having periods. It’s a normal thing."

Currently ranked No. 170, the former Top 20 player will spend much of 2024 looking to restore her standing in the WTA rankings. But having recently been elected as the No. 50-100 representative on the WTA Players' Coucil, there's no doubt that she'll continue to remain plugged in in more ways than one.