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Ranked 19th globally Daria Kasatkina announced she is at her "limit" and has decided to end her tennis season early, characterizing the grueling schedule as "too much, psychologically and personally."

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

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

The athlete linked the emotional stress from her change of citizenship as a significant factor to her challenges, which included not seeing her father for four years.

She wrote in a detailed post: "I have been not okay for quite a while and, honestly speaking, my on-court showings show that."

"I have reached breaking point and unfortunately I am in the same boat as others," she added.

"Add in the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my citizenship change and there is only so much I can deal with and take as an single person."

"Should this label me as weak, then I accept it, I'm weak," she stated.

"However, I believe I am resilient and will grow stronger by being away and restoring my energy."

"The moment has come I listened to myself for once."

Fellow Athletes Also Ending Seasons Early

Ex-elite competitors Svitolina and Badosa have also concluded their campaigns ahead of time in the past few weeks.

The Ukrainian star mentioned she had "not been feeling her usual self", while the Spanish player has discussed the mental toll of an ongoing back problem.

Other players have voiced concerns about the impact of the tour schedule.

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

Tour Requirements and Athlete Issues

The WTA has made it mandatory for elite athletes to compete in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six secondary competitions.

The bulk of 1000 events on the women's and men's circuits last a fortnight, as do all four major championships.

Competitors may miss required tournaments if they are hurt or have private matters, but they will not get any rankings points or prize money if they opt out.

Former world number one Djokovic, who has reduced his tournament appearances in recent years to protect his body, has urged players to be better aligned in advocating for reforms.