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Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional has declared she is at her "limit" and chose to end her competitive year ahead of schedule, characterizing the intense calendar as "excessive, psychologically and personally."

The 28-year-old athlete changed 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 for form this year, not managing to secure a title and finishing with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina linked the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her difficulties, which included not visiting with her father for four years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been far from fine for a long time and, truth be told, my on-court showings reflect that."

"I have reached my limit and unfortunately I am in the same boat as others," she added.

"Combine the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch and there is only so much I can deal with and take as an single person."

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

"Nonetheless, I believe I am strong and will get stronger by taking a break and recharging."

"It's time I heeded myself for once."

Fellow Athletes Also Ending Their Years Prematurely

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

Ukraine's Svitolina mentioned she had "not been feeling her usual self", while the Spanish player has spoken about the psychological impact of an ongoing spinal issue.

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

Five players withdrew injured in two tournaments in the Chinese tournaments last week, with multiple major winner Iga Swiatek commenting the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."

Tour Regulations and Player Issues

The WTA requires for elite athletes to compete in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.

The majority of premier tournaments on the women's and men's circuits run for two weeks, as do all four Grand Slams.

Competitors can skip mandatory events if they are hurt or have personal reasons, but they will not get any points for the standings or prize money if they do not play.

Former world number one Djokovic, who has slimmed down his schedule in recent years to preserve his health, has called on fellow professionals to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.