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Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional announced she is at her "breaking point" and has decided to conclude her tennis season early, describing the demanding calendar as "excessive, psychologically and personally."

The 28-year-old changed her nationality from Russia to the Australian nation in the month of March, after voiced concerns regarding her nation's LGBTQ+ regulations and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.

Her performance suffered with consistency throughout the season, not managing to win a tournament and finishing with a record of 19 wins and 21 losses.

Kasatkina attributed the emotional stress from her nationality switch as a major contributor to her difficulties, which involve not visiting with her father for several years.

She expressed in a lengthy statement: "I've been not okay for a long time and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that."

"I have reached my limit and unfortunately I am not alone," she added.

"Add in the mix the psychological pressure associated with my nationality switch and there is only so much I can manage and endure as an single person."

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

"Nonetheless, I believe 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."

Other Players Similarly Halting Their Years Prematurely

Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also ended their campaigns ahead of time in the past few weeks.

Ukraine's Svitolina mentioned she had "not felt like myself", while the Spanish player has discussed the psychological impact of an ongoing back problem.

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

A quintet of competitors retired due to injury in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments last week, with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek commenting the season is "too long and intense."

WTA Requirements and Player Concerns

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for top players to compete in every 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 a fortnight, as do all four major championships.

Competitors may miss mandatory events if they are injured or have personal reasons, but they will receive no points for the standings or prize money if they do not play.

Ex-top ranked player Djokovic, who has reduced his tournament appearances in lately to preserve his health, has urged players to be more united in forcing change.