MELBOURNE, Australia — Daria Kasatkina, the Australia-based tennis star originally from Russia, has announced that she is stepping away from the tour early this season to prioritize her mental health after reaching a “breaking point.”
Currently ranked 19th, the 2022 French Open semifinalist shared on Monday that the relentless travel schedule, the stress of securing permanent residency in Australia, and the inability to visit her parents have taken a toll on her well-being.
Engaged to Olympic figure skating medalist Natalia Zabiiako, Kasatkina expressed in a 2023 interview with the Times of London that, as a gay person who opposes the war in Ukraine, returning to Russia is not an option for her.
“Honestly, I’ve hit a wall and need to step back. I must escape the daily grind of tour life—those endless suitcases, the pressure of results, the same familiar faces (no offense, ladies)—and everything that entails,” Kasatkina posted on Instagram.
“The demands of the schedule have become overwhelming; mentally and emotionally, I’m at my limit, and sadly, I’m not alone in feeling this way.”
She plans to return in 2026 “rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.”
Kasatkina admitted she has been “far from okay for quite some time,” and her performance on the court has suffered as she tried to conceal her feelings for fear of coming off as ungrateful.
She joins a growing cohort of players, including Elina Svitolina and Beatriz Haddad Maia, who have chosen to end their seasons prematurely to focus on self-care.
The last match for Kasatkina was a straight-set defeat against Sonay Kartal in the second round of the China Open on September 27, and her most recent title came at the Ningbo Open in October 2024.
