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World number 19 Daria Kasatkina has declared she is at her "breaking point" and has decided to conclude her competitive year ahead of schedule, characterizing the intense schedule as "excessive, mentally and emotionally."

The 28-year-old switched her nationality from the Russian Federation to Australia in the month of March, following public criticism regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ regulations and the war in the Ukrainian region.

Her performance suffered with consistency this year, not managing to secure a title and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina linked the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a major contributor to her difficulties, which included not visiting with her parent for several years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been far from fine for quite a while and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that."

"I have reached breaking point and sadly I am not alone," she added.

"Combine the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my citizenship change and there is only so much I can manage and take as an single person."

"If this makes me weak, then I accept it, I am not strong enough," she stated.

"Nonetheless, I believe I am resilient and will grow stronger by taking a break and recharging."

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

Fellow Athletes Similarly Halting Their Years Prematurely

Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Badosa similarly concluded their seasons 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 persistent back problem.

Additional athletes have also spoken about the impact of the tennis calendar.

A quintet of competitors retired due to injury in two tournaments in China last week, with multiple major winner Iga Swiatek commenting the season is "too long and intense."

WTA Requirements and Player Concerns

The WTA requires for top players to participate in every Grand Slam, 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 each of the Grand Slams.

Competitors can skip mandatory events if they are injured or have personal reasons, but they will receive no rankings points or prize money 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.