Australia's top-ranked female tennis athlete has decided to pause her career throughout the rest of the tennis calendar, admitting she is at her “psychological and emotional limit.”
The Australian No. 1, who earlier switched her nationality from Russia to Australia, credited the transition for contributing to significant “psychological pressure.”
Other reasons involved the ongoing difficulty of being separated from her family and the grueling competition calendar.
“My well-being has suffered for a extended duration and, truth be told, my on-court achievements reflect that,” she shared on her online accounts.
She continued, “The reality is, I've hit a wall and can't continue. I must take a hiatus. A rest from the monotonous daily grind of professional tennis, the travel, the outcomes, the stress, the familiar opponents (sorry, girls), everything that comes with this existence.”
“I can only handle I can endure and handle as a female athlete, all whilst battling the top competitors in the world.”
“Should this be seen as weakness, then so be it, it's true. That said, I know I am strong and will grow by taking time off, refreshing, reorganizing and renewing. The moment has come I paid attention to my instincts for a difference, my thoughts, my emotions and my physical self.”
Kasatkina opted to alter allegiance after exiting her home country due to safety concerns, having previously criticized the country's legislation targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and the war on Ukraine. After initially residing in the UAE, she moved to her new home and became a permanent resident in March.
She later got engaged to longtime girlfriend an ex-Olympic athlete, who previously earned a second-place finish for her birth country at the 2018 Winter Olympics after earlier competing for her home country of Estonia.
The tennis star also revealed she has not seen her parent, who stayed behind in Russia, for four years.
A major tournament contender in recent years, Kasatkina had ended the previous four seasons ranked in the top ten but is currently 19th after a modest season where she had a near-even record.
She is projected to fall from the elite rankings by the time the Australian Open takes place.
The professional athlete confirmed she aims to resume in 2026, “energised and ready to rock,” with the lead-in to her domestic major likely serving as a key objective.
Australia's second-ranked player is another Australian athlete, ranked 35th globally.
The Australian No. 1 is the most recent elite athlete to cut short their year, following two other stars, amid a recent trend of players retiring mid-match.
The tour governing body requires elite athletes to participate in a minimum of 20 events, including the Grand Slam events, premier tour stops, and lower-tier matches.
But elite competitor a leading athlete stated in the past, “There's no way to squeeze it in the calendar. Maybe I will have to choose some competitions and miss them, despite the fact that they are required.
“We have to be smart about it - perhaps ignoring about the regulations and just focus on what's beneficial for us.”
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