Tennis Star Kasatkina Finishes Campaign Prematurely, Citing Mental Exhaustion
Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional has declared she is at her "breaking point" and has decided to end her tennis season early, labeling the grueling calendar as "too much, mentally and emotionally."
The 28-year-old athlete changed her citizenship from Russia to Australia in March, after public criticism regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ regulations and the war in the Ukrainian region.
She struggled with consistency throughout the season, failing to secure a title and finishing with a record of 19 wins and 21 losses.
Kasatkina attributed the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a significant factor to her challenges, which included not visiting with her parent for several years.
She wrote in a detailed post: "I've been far from fine for a long time and, truth be told, my on-court showings show that."
"I have reached breaking point and unfortunately I am in the same boat as others," she added.
"Combine the situation the psychological pressure related to my citizenship change and I can only handle so much I can deal with and take as an single person."
"Should this label me as weak, then I accept it, I'm weak," she stated.
"Nonetheless, I believe I am resilient and will get stronger by being away and restoring my energy."
"The moment has come I listened to myself for a change."
Other Players Similarly Ending Their Years Early
Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Badosa similarly concluded their campaigns ahead of time in recent weeks.
Ukraine's Svitolina mentioned she had "not felt like myself", while the Spanish player has discussed the mental toll of an ongoing spinal issue.
Additional athletes have also spoken about the effect of the tennis calendar.
A quintet of competitors retired injured in a pair of events in China recently, with multiple major winner Swiatek commenting the season is "excessively lengthy and demanding."
WTA Requirements and Athlete Issues
The WTA has made it mandatory for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.
The majority of premier tournaments on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for a fortnight, as do all four major championships.
Competitors can skip required tournaments if they are hurt or have private matters, but they will not get any rankings points or prize money if they do not play.
Ex-top ranked player Djokovic, who has slimmed down his tournament appearances in lately to protect his body, has called on players to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.