Professional Player Daria Kasatkina Concludes Season Early, Citing Mental Exhaustion
Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina announced she is at her "limit" and has decided to conclude her tennis season early, labeling the demanding calendar as "too much, mentally and emotionally."
The 28-year-old switched her nationality from the Russian Federation to the Australian nation in the month of March, after public criticism regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ regulations and the war in the Ukrainian region.
Her performance suffered with consistency throughout the season, not managing to win a tournament and finishing with a record of 19-21.
Kasatkina attributed the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her challenges, which included not seeing her parent for four years.
She expressed in a detailed post: "I have been far from fine for quite a while and, honestly speaking, my results and performances reflect that."
"I have reached my limit and unfortunately I am in the same boat as others," she added.
"Add in the situation the emotional and mental stress associated with my citizenship change and I can only handle so much I can deal with and endure as an single person."
"Should this label me as fragile, then so be it, I'm weak," she stated.
"However, I believe I am resilient and will get stronger by being away and recharging."
"The moment has come I heeded myself for a change."
Fellow Athletes Also Ending Seasons Early
Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also ended their seasons ahead of time in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian star stated she had "not felt like myself", while the Spanish player has discussed the psychological impact of an ongoing back problem.
Other players have voiced concerns about the impact of the tour schedule.
A quintet of competitors withdrew due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments last week, with multiple major winner Swiatek saying the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."
WTA Requirements and Athlete Issues
The WTA requires for elite athletes to participate in every Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.
The bulk of premier tournaments on the WTA and men's ATP Tour last a fortnight, as do all four major championships.
Players can skip required tournaments if they are hurt or have personal reasons, but they will not get any rankings points or financial rewards if they do not play.
Ex-top ranked player Novak Djokovic, who has reduced his schedule in lately to preserve his health, has called on players to be more united in forcing change.