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Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional has declared she is at her "limit" and chose to conclude her tennis season early, labeling the intense calendar as "excessive, psychologically and personally."

The 28-year-old athlete changed her citizenship from the Russian Federation to Australia in the month of March, after public criticism regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ laws and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Her performance suffered with consistency throughout the season, not managing to win a tournament and concluding with a win-loss tally of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina linked the emotional stress from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her difficulties, which included not visiting with her parent for four years.

She expressed in a detailed post: "I've been far from fine for quite a while and, truth be told, my on-court showings show that."

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

"Add in the mix the psychological pressure related to my citizenship change and there is only so much I can deal with and endure as an individual woman."

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

"However, I believe I am strong and will grow stronger by being away and recharging."

"The moment has come I listened to myself for a change."

Other Players Also Halting Seasons Early

Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa similarly concluded their campaigns early in the past few weeks.

Ukraine's Svitolina stated she had "not been feeling like myself", while the Spanish player has discussed the mental toll of an ongoing back problem.

Additional athletes have voiced concerns about the impact of the tennis calendar.

A quintet of competitors withdrew due to injury in two tournaments in China recently, with multiple major winner Iga Swiatek commenting the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."

WTA Regulations and Player Issues

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for top players to participate in every major tournament, 10 WTA 1000 events and six 500-level tournaments.

The bulk of premier tournaments on the WTA and men's ATP Tour run for a fortnight, as do all four Grand Slams.

Players can skip mandatory events if they are hurt or have personal reasons, but they will not get any rankings points or prize money if they opt out.

Ex-top ranked player Novak Djokovic, who has slimmed down his tournament appearances in lately to protect his body, has urged players to be more united in advocating for reforms.