Professional Player Daria Kasatkina Concludes Campaign Early, Pointing to Emotional Strain
Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional announced she is at her "limit" and chose to conclude her tennis season ahead of schedule, describing the intense calendar as "too much, mentally and emotionally."
The 28-year-old athlete changed her nationality from Russia to Australia in the month of March, following voiced concerns regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ laws and the war in the Ukrainian region.
She struggled with consistency this year, not managing to secure a title and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.
Kasatkina attributed the mental strain from her nationality switch as a significant factor to her difficulties, which involve not visiting with her father for several years.
She wrote in a lengthy statement: "I have been not okay for quite a while and, honestly speaking, my on-court showings show that."
"I am at my limit and unfortunately I am not alone," she continued.
"Combine the situation the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch and I can only handle so much I can deal with and take as an single person."
"If this makes me fragile, then so be it, I'm weak," she remarked.
"Nonetheless, I believe I am strong and will grow stronger by taking a break and restoring my energy."
"The moment has come I heeded my own needs for once."
Other Players Similarly Halting Seasons Prematurely
Former top-five players Svitolina and Badosa have also concluded their seasons ahead of time in the past few weeks.
Ukraine's Svitolina stated she had "not felt like myself", while Badosa has spoken about the mental toll of an ongoing spinal issue.
Other players have voiced concerns about the impact of the tennis calendar.
A quintet of competitors retired due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments recently, with multiple major winner Swiatek commenting the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."
WTA Regulations and Player Concerns
The WTA has made it mandatory for top players to compete in every Grand Slam, ten premier events and six 500-level tournaments.
The bulk of 1000 events on the women's and men's circuits run for two weeks, as do each of the Grand Slams.
Players may miss required tournaments if they are injured or have personal reasons, but they will receive no points for the standings or prize money if they opt out.
Former world number one Djokovic, who has slimmed down his schedule in lately to preserve his health, has called on fellow professionals to be better aligned in forcing change.
