Tennis Star Kasatkina Concludes Campaign Prematurely, Pointing to Emotional Fatigue
Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina has declared she is at her "limit" and chose to end her tennis season early, characterizing the intense schedule as "too much, mentally and emotionally."
The 28-year-old athlete changed her citizenship from Russia to Australia in March, after voiced concerns regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ laws and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.
Her performance suffered for form this year, not managing to win a tournament and finishing with a win-loss tally of 19-21.
The athlete linked the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a significant factor to her difficulties, which involve not seeing her father for several years.
She expressed in a detailed post: "I have been far from fine for quite a while and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that."
"I am at breaking point and sadly I am in the same boat as others," she added.
"Add in the situation the emotional and mental stress associated with my nationality switch and I can only handle so much I can manage and take as an single person."
"Should this label me as fragile, then I accept it, I am not strong enough," she stated.
"However, I know I am resilient and will get stronger by taking a break and restoring my energy."
"The moment has come I listened to myself for once."
Fellow Athletes Similarly Halting Their Years Early
Former top-five players Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also concluded their seasons ahead of time in the past few weeks.
The Ukrainian star stated she had "not been feeling her usual self", while the Spanish player has discussed the psychological impact of an persistent spinal issue.
Other players have also spoken about the effect of the tour schedule.
Five players retired due to injury in a pair of events in China last week, with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek commenting the season is "too long and intense."
WTA Regulations and Athlete Issues
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) requires for top players to compete in every major tournament, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.
The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for a fortnight, as do all four major championships.
Players can skip mandatory events if they are hurt or have private matters, but they will not get any points for the standings or prize money if they do not play.
Ex-top ranked player Djokovic, who has slimmed down his schedule in recent years to preserve his health, has urged fellow professionals to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.
