Professional Player Daria Kasatkina Finishes Season Early, Citing Mental Exhaustion
Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina has declared she is at her "limit" and has decided to conclude her tennis season ahead of schedule, describing the demanding schedule as "excessive, psychologically and personally."
The 28-year-old switched her nationality from the Russian Federation to the Australian nation in the month of March, following public criticism regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ laws and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.
Her performance suffered with consistency this year, failing to win a tournament and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.
Kasatkina linked the emotional stress from her nationality switch as a significant factor to her difficulties, 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 am at my limit and unfortunately I am not alone," she continued.
"Add in the situation the emotional and mental stress associated with my nationality switch and there is only so much I can manage and endure as an single person."
"If this makes me fragile, then I accept it, I'm weak," she stated.
"However, I believe I am resilient and will grow stronger by being away and recharging."
"The moment has come I listened to myself for once."
Other Players Also Ending Seasons Prematurely
Former top-five players Svitolina and Paula Badosa similarly ended their seasons ahead of time in the past few weeks.
The Ukrainian star mentioned she had "not been feeling like myself", while the Spanish player has spoken about the psychological impact of an persistent spinal issue.
Additional athletes have also spoken about the effect of the tennis calendar.
Five players retired due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments recently, with six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek saying the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."
Tour Requirements and Player Issues
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) requires for elite athletes to participate in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.
The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour last a fortnight, as do all four major championships.
Competitors may miss mandatory events if they are injured or have private matters, but they will not get any points for the standings or financial rewards if they do not play.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic, who has slimmed down his tournament appearances in recent years to preserve his health, has called on players to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.
