Tennis Star Kasatkina Concludes Campaign Prematurely, Pointing to Emotional Exhaustion
Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional has declared she is at her "breaking point" and chose to end her tennis season ahead of schedule, describing the grueling schedule as "excessive, psychologically and personally."
The 28-year-old athlete switched her nationality from Russia to the Australian nation in March, after voiced concerns regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ laws and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.
Her performance suffered for form throughout the season, failing to win a tournament and concluding with a record of 19-21.
The athlete attributed the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a major contributor to her challenges, which involve not seeing her father for four years.
She expressed in a detailed post: "I have been not okay for a long time and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that."
"I am at my limit and sadly I am in the same boat as others," she continued.
"Combine the mix the emotional and mental stress associated with my nationality switch and there is only so much I can manage and take as an single person."
"Should this label me as weak, then so be it, I'm weak," she stated.
"However, I believe I am resilient and will get stronger by being away and restoring my energy."
"The moment has come I listened to my own needs for once."
Other Players Similarly Halting Their Years Early
Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Badosa have also concluded their campaigns early in the past few weeks.
The Ukrainian star mentioned she had "not felt like myself", while the Spanish player has spoken about the mental toll of an persistent spinal issue.
Additional athletes have also spoken about the effect of the tennis calendar.
A quintet of competitors withdrew due to injury in two tournaments in China recently, with six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek saying the competitive year is "too long and intense."
Tour Requirements and Athlete Issues
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six 500-level tournaments.
The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for a fortnight, as do all four Grand Slams.
Players may miss required tournaments if they are injured or have personal reasons, but they will not get any rankings points or prize money if they opt out.
Former world number one Djokovic, who has reduced his tournament appearances in recent years to protect his body, has called on players to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.
