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World number 19 the tennis professional has declared she is at her "limit" and chose to end her competitive year early, describing the grueling calendar as "excessive, mentally and emotionally."

The 28-year-old athlete changed her nationality from Russia to the Australian nation in March, after voiced concerns regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ regulations and the war in the Ukrainian region.

Her performance suffered with consistency throughout the season, not managing to secure a title and concluding with a record of 19-21.

Kasatkina linked the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her challenges, which included not visiting with her parent for several years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been far from fine for a long time and, honestly speaking, my results and performances show that."

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

"Combine the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch and I can only handle so much I can deal with and take as an individual woman."

"Should this label me as weak, then so be it, I am not strong enough," she stated.

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

"It's time I listened to my own needs for a change."

Fellow Athletes Also Ending Their Years Prematurely

Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also ended their campaigns ahead of time in recent weeks.

Ukraine's Svitolina stated she had "not felt like myself", while Badosa has spoken about the psychological impact of an ongoing spinal issue.

Other players have voiced concerns about the impact of the tour schedule.

A quintet of competitors retired injured in two tournaments in the Chinese tournaments recently, with six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek saying the season is "excessively lengthy and demanding."

WTA Requirements and Athlete Issues

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, ten premier events and six 500-level tournaments.

The majority of premier tournaments on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for two weeks, as do each of the major championships.

Competitors may miss mandatory events if they are hurt 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 schedule in recent years to protect his body, has called on players to be more united in advocating for reforms.