Daria Kasatkina hits ‘breaking level,’ ends season early

WTA Tour veteran Daria Kasatkina said she is ending her season early to focus on her mental health after reaching a “breaking point.”

Ranked No. 19 in the world, the 28-year-old Russian-born Australia resident has compiled a 19-22 singles record this year with nearly $1.5 million in prize money but no titles.

Kasatkina, who was seeded 14th, is coming off a 6-3, 6-0 loss to England’s Sonay Kartal in her opening match at the China Open on Sept. 27.

On Monday, Kasatkina said in a post on Instagram that she feels drained by the constant tour travel and a stressful process to gain permanent residency in Australia.

“Truth is, I’ve hit a wall and can’t continue. I need a break. A break from the monotonous daily grind of life on the tour, the suitcases, the results, the pressure, the same faces (sorry, girls), everything that comes with this life,” Kasatkina wrote.

“The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly, I am not alone.”

Kasatkina peaked at No. 8 in the world rankings in October 2022 and won her eighth and most recent singles title at China’s Ningo Open in October 2024. Her best finish in a Grand Slam was a semifinal run at the 2022 French Open.

Kasatkina is engaged to figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, a silver medalist at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Kasatkina told the Times of London in 2023 that she has been unable to return to Russia to visit family because she is a “gay person who opposes the war” in Ukraine.

–Field Level Media