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The nation's leading WTA competitor has decided to take a break for the remainder of the current year, explaining she is at her “emotional and mental breaking point.”

Factors Leading to the Choice

Daria Kasatkina, who this year altered her citizenship to represent Australia, blamed the move for contributing to considerable “mental and emotional pressure.”

Additional factors consisted of the continued challenge of being away from her relatives and the relentless circuit routine.

“I haven't been okay for a extended duration and, to be frank, my match outcomes and showings demonstrate it,” she posted on digital platforms.

She continued, “Truth is, I've hit a wall and must stop now. I need a break. A pause from the monotonous daily grind of the tennis circuit, the travel, the outcomes, the pressure, the same faces (sorry, girls), everything that comes with this career.”

Private Difficulties and Upcoming Goals

“I can only handle I can endure and cope with as a person, all whilst competing with the leading players in the world.”

“If people consider this a flaw, then that's acceptable, it's true. That said, I know I am strong and will grow by taking time off, refreshing, regrouping and renewing. Now is the moment I listened to myself for a change, my brain, my heart and my physical self.”

Kasatkina chose to switch citizenship after leaving Russia due to apprehensions about her well-being, having openly opposed the nation's policies affecting the queer community and the conflict in Ukraine. After initially residing in the Middle East, she moved to Melbourne and became a permanent resident in the spring.

She later got engaged to partner an ex-Olympic athlete, who secured a second-place finish for Russia at the PyeongChang Games after first representing for her birth nation Estonia.

Kasatkina additionally shared she has been unable to visit her father, who remains in Russia, for several years.

Tennis Journey

A major tournament contender in the past, she had ended the previous four seasons in the elite group but is currently outside the top 15 after a challenging season where she had a near-even record.

She is projected to fall from the top 20 by the time the home major arrives.

The professional athlete stated she will return in the following season, “recharged and motivated,” with the lead-in to her local Grand Slam probably acting as a key objective.

Wider Context

The nation's current No. 2 is Maya Joint, ranked 35th globally.

The Australian No. 1 is the most recent top WTA competitor to cut short their year, following other prominent players, amid a recent trend of players retiring mid-match.

The Women's Tennis Association requires elite athletes to compete in a minimum of 20 events, encompassing the Grand Slam events, 10 WTA 1,000 events, and lower-tier matches.

But elite competitor the Polish star remarked recently, “It's just impossible to accommodate everything the calendar. Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and omit them, although they are obligatory.

“We must think carefully about it - perhaps ignoring about the guidelines and just consider what's good for us.”