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The nation's leading female tennis athlete has opted to pause her career until the end of the 2025 season, explaining she is at her “emotional and mental threshold.”

Factors Leading to the Announcement

Daria Kasatkina, who recently changed her citizenship to represent Australia, credited the change for contributing to immense “mental and emotional strain.”

Additional factors consisted of the ongoing difficulty of being distant from her relatives and the relentless competition calendar.

“I haven't been okay for a considerable period and, to be frank, my results and performances show it,” she shared on her online accounts.

She added, “The reality is, I've encountered a barrier and am unable to proceed. I must take a hiatus. A pause from the monotonous daily grind of professional tennis, the constant packing, the scores, the stress, the same faces (sorry, girls), all aspects of this existence.”

Personal Struggles and Upcoming Goals

“I can only handle I can manage and take as an individual woman, all whilst competing with the top competitors in the world.”

“If this makes me weak, then I accept it, I am fragile. But, I believe in my strength and will improve by being away, refreshing, recalibrating and renewing. Now is the moment I listened to myself for a difference, my mind, my emotions and my body.”

Kasatkina chose to switch nationality after exiting her home country due to fears for her security, having openly opposed the country's legislation targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and the invasion of Ukraine. After initially residing in the UAE, she relocated to Melbourne and obtained permanent residency in the spring.

She later got engaged to longtime girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, who previously earned a silver medal for Russia at the last Winter Olympics after first representing for her birth nation Estonia.

Kasatkina further mentioned she has not seen her parent, who stayed behind in Russia, for four years.

Professional Background

A major tournament contender in the past, she had ended the recent years ranked in the top ten but is currently outside the top 15 after a modest season where she had a near-even record.

She is expected to fall from the elite rankings by the time the next Grand Slam arrives.

The tennis veteran stated she will return in the following season, “recharged and motivated,” with the lead-in to her domestic major probably acting as a key objective.

Wider Context

The nation's current No. 2 is Maya Joint, holding the 35th position.

Kasatkina is the third top WTA competitor to withdraw from the tour, following Paula Badosa and Elina Svitolina, amid a notable increase of competitors stopping mid-game.

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

But world No. 2 a leading athlete remarked in the past, “It's just impossible to fit it all in the calendar. It's possible I will have to pick some competitions and skip them, even though they are mandatory.

“It's essential to plan wisely about it - not really unfortunately care about the rules and just think what's beneficial for us.”