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

The 28-year-old athlete changed her citizenship from the Russian Federation to Australia in March, after public criticism regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ regulations and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.

Her performance suffered for form this year, failing to win a tournament and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina attributed the mental strain from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her difficulties, which included not seeing her parent for four years.

She wrote in a detailed post: "I've been not okay for a long time and, truth be told, my on-court showings reflect that."

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

"Add in the mix 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 weak, then so be it, I am not strong enough," she remarked.

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

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

Other Players Similarly Ending Seasons Prematurely

Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Badosa have also ended their campaigns early in the past few weeks.

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

Additional athletes have also spoken about the effect of the tour schedule.

Five players withdrew injured in a pair of events in China last week, with multiple major winner Iga Swiatek commenting the competitive year is "too long and intense."

Tour Regulations and Player Issues

The WTA requires for elite athletes to compete in every Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six 500-level tournaments.

The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for two weeks, as do all four major championships.

Players may miss mandatory events if they are hurt or have personal reasons, but they will receive no points for the standings or prize money if they opt out.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic, who has reduced his schedule in lately to preserve his health, has called on players to be more united in advocating for reforms.