Daria Kasatkina, the 19-year-old world number 19, describes the schedule as “too much, mentally and emotionally” and calls it “breaking point” and has already ended her season.
After criticizing her country’s LGBTQ+ laws and the Ukraine war, the 28-year-old made the switch from Russia to Australia in March.
This year, she struggled for form, failing to capture a title and recording 19-21 overall.
Kasatkina said her struggles, including missing her father for four years, were brought on by the emotional strain of her nationality transition.
“I’m at the breaking point, but sadly, I’m not the only one.”
Add to that the emotional and mental strain I experience as a woman when I consider my nationality switch.
“I’m weak if this makes me weak, that’s it.”
“I am aware of my strength and will grow stronger by going away and recharging,” he continued.
“It’s time I listened to myself for a change,” I said.
Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa, both of whom finished first in the top five, recently announced their early retirements.
Svitolina, from Ukraine, claimed that she had “not been feeling like myself,” and Badosa, from the UK, spoke about the mental strain of a persistent back issue.
Other players have also discussed the impact of the tennis calendar.
Iga Swiatek, the six-time Grand Slam champion, claimed the season is too long and intense, with five players recovering from injuries in China last week.
Top players are required to compete in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events, and six 500-level tournaments, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
The majority of the 1000 WTA and ATP events are held in two weeks, just like all four Grand Slams.
If a player is injured or has a personal reason, they can skip the required events without losing any rankings or prize money.
related subjects
- Tennis
Source: BBC
Leave a Reply