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Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina announced she is at her "limit" and chose to end her competitive year early, describing the demanding calendar as "excessive, mentally and emotionally."

The 28-year-old switched her nationality from Russia to Australia in the month of March, following public criticism regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ laws and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

She struggled for form throughout the season, not managing to secure a title and finishing with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina linked the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a significant factor to her difficulties, which involve not visiting with her father for several years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've 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 not alone," she continued.

"Combine the situation the psychological pressure related to my nationality switch and there is only so much I can deal with and endure as an single person."

"Should this label me as fragile, then I accept it, I am not strong enough," she stated.

"Nonetheless, I believe I am resilient and will get stronger by taking a break and restoring my energy."

"The moment has come I heeded myself for once."

Fellow Athletes Also Halting Seasons Early

Former top-five players Svitolina and Paula Badosa similarly ended their campaigns ahead of time in recent weeks.

The Ukrainian star mentioned she had "not been feeling her usual self", while the Spanish player has discussed the mental toll of an persistent back problem.

Other players have also spoken about the effect of the tennis calendar.

A quintet of competitors retired due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments recently, with multiple major winner Iga Swiatek saying the competitive year is "too long and intense."

Tour Regulations and Athlete Concerns

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for elite athletes to participate in every Grand Slam, ten premier events and six secondary competitions.

The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour last a fortnight, as do each of the major championships.

Players can skip mandatory events if they are injured or have personal reasons, but they will receive no points for the standings or financial rewards if they opt out.

Ex-top ranked player Djokovic, who has slimmed down his tournament appearances in lately to protect his body, has urged fellow professionals to be more united in forcing change.