Tennis Star Kasatkina Ends Season Prematurely, Pointing to Mental Strain
Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional stated she is at her "breaking point" and chose to end her tennis season early, characterizing the grueling calendar as "excessive, mentally and emotionally."
The 28-year-old changed her nationality from Russia to Australia in the month of March, after voiced concerns regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ laws and the war in Ukraine.
Her performance suffered for form throughout the season, failing to secure a title and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19-21.
The athlete attributed the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her difficulties, which involve not seeing her parent for four years.
She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been not okay for quite a while and, honestly speaking, my on-court showings reflect that."
"I am at my limit and sadly I am not alone," she added.
"Combine the situation the psychological pressure related to my nationality switch and I can only handle so much I can manage and endure as an individual woman."
"If this makes me fragile, then so be it, I am not strong enough," she stated.
"Nonetheless, I believe I am strong and will grow stronger by taking a break and restoring my energy."
"The moment has come I listened to myself for once."
Fellow Athletes Also Ending Seasons Prematurely
Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Paula Badosa similarly ended their campaigns ahead of time in the past few weeks.
The Ukrainian star stated she had "not felt her usual self", while Badosa has spoken about the mental toll of an persistent spinal issue.
Additional athletes have also spoken about the effect of the tour schedule.
A quintet of competitors withdrew due to injury in two tournaments in China recently, with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek saying the season is "too long and intense."
WTA Requirements and Athlete Concerns
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) requires for elite athletes to compete in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.
The bulk of premier tournaments on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for two weeks, as do all four major championships.
Players 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 lately to preserve his health, has called on fellow professionals to be more united in forcing change.
