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Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina announced she is at her "breaking point" and has decided to conclude her competitive year ahead of schedule, characterizing the demanding calendar as "excessive, psychologically and personally."

The 28-year-old switched her nationality from Russia to Australia in March, after public criticism regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ regulations and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Her performance suffered with consistency throughout the season, failing to secure a title and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19-21.

Kasatkina attributed the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her challenges, which included not seeing her father for several years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been not okay for a long time and, honestly speaking, my results and performances reflect that."

"I have reached my limit and sadly I am not alone," she continued.

"Combine the situation the psychological pressure related to my nationality switch and there is only so much I can manage and endure as an individual woman."

"If this makes me weak, then I accept it, I'm weak," she stated.

"Nonetheless, I believe I am strong and will grow stronger by being away and recharging."

"The moment has come I listened to my own needs for a change."

Other Players Similarly Halting Their Years Prematurely

Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa similarly concluded their campaigns ahead of time in the past few weeks.

The Ukrainian star stated she had "not felt like myself", while Badosa has discussed the psychological impact of an ongoing back problem.

Other players have also spoken about the impact of the tour schedule.

A quintet of competitors withdrew due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments recently, with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek saying the season is "excessively lengthy and demanding."

Tour Requirements and Athlete Issues

The WTA requires for top players to participate in every major tournament, ten premier events and six secondary competitions.

The majority of 1000 events on the women's and men's circuits run for a fortnight, as do all four major championships.

Competitors may miss 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 opt out.

Ex-top ranked player Novak Djokovic, who has slimmed down his schedule in recent years to preserve his health, has urged players to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.