Daria Kasatkina Reveals Temporary Pause Citing ‘Psychological Pressure’

The nation's leading female tennis athlete has chosen to take a break until the end of the current year, admitting she is at her “mental and emotional breaking point.”

Factors Leading to the Choice

The Australian No. 1, who recently changed her citizenship to represent Australia, blamed the change for contributing to considerable “psychological strain.”

Other reasons consisted of the ongoing difficulty of being distant from her family and the demanding tour schedule.

“My well-being has suffered for a considerable period and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that,” she posted on her online accounts.

She continued, “The reality is, I've encountered a barrier and can't continue. I must take a hiatus. A break from the repetitive routine of life on the tour, the suitcases, the scores, the stress, the same faces (apologies, ladies), all aspects of this career.”

Individual Challenges and Upcoming Goals

“Each person has a limit I can endure and take as an individual woman, all whilst facing off against the best female athletes in the world.”

“Should this be seen as weakness, then so be it, I am fragile. But, I believe in my strength and will get stronger by being away, resting, regrouping and reenergising. The moment has come I paid attention to my instincts for a difference, my thoughts, my feelings and my physical self.”

Kasatkina opted to alter citizenship after leaving Russia due to safety concerns, having openly opposed the country's anti-LGBTQ+ laws and the war on Ukraine. Originally based in the Middle East, she moved to Australia and obtained permanent residency in early this year.

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

She also revealed she has not seen her parent, who remains in Russia, for four years.

Professional Background

A major tournament contender in 2022, she had concluded the recent years ranked in the top ten but is now outside the top 15 after a modest season where she won 19 and lost 21.

She is expected to drop out of the top 20 by the time the Australian Open arrives.

The professional athlete announced she plans to come back in 2026, “energised and ready to rock,” with the preparation for her home grand slam probably acting as a key objective.

Broader Implications

Australia's current No. 2 is a rising star, ranked 35th globally.

Kasatkina is the latest leading female player to cut short their year, following two other stars, amid a notable increase of competitors stopping mid-game.

The WTA obligates leading players to participate in a minimum of 20 events, encompassing the four grand slams, 10 WTA 1,000 events, and lower-tier matches.

But world No. 2 Iga Swiatek stated last month, “There's no way to accommodate everything the schedule. It's possible I will have to pick some tournaments and miss them, despite the fact that they are mandatory.

“We have to be smart about it - perhaps ignoring about the rules and just focus on what's beneficial for us.”