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Ranked 19th globally the tennis professional stated she is at her "breaking point" and chose to end her tennis season early, describing the demanding calendar as "too much, mentally and emotionally."

The 28-year-old athlete changed her nationality from Russia to Australia in March, following voiced concerns regarding her home country's LGBTQ+ regulations and the ongoing conflict in the Ukrainian region.

She struggled for form throughout the season, failing to secure a title and finishing with a win-loss tally of 19-21.

The athlete attributed the mental strain from her change of citizenship as a significant factor to her difficulties, which included not seeing her father for four years.

She expressed in a detailed post: "I've been not okay for quite a while and, truth be told, my results and performances reflect that."

"I am at breaking point and sadly I am in the same boat as others," she continued.

"Add in the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch 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 know I am resilient and will get stronger by taking a break and restoring my energy."

"It's time I listened to myself for a change."

Fellow Athletes Similarly Halting Their Years Early

Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also ended their campaigns ahead of time in the past few weeks.

The Ukrainian star mentioned she had "not felt like myself", while the Spanish player has spoken about the mental toll of an persistent back problem.

Additional athletes have voiced concerns about the impact of the tennis calendar.

Five players retired injured in a pair of events in the Chinese tournaments recently, with multiple major winner Swiatek saying the competitive year is "excessively lengthy and demanding."

Tour Regulations and Player Concerns

The WTA requires for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, ten premier events and six secondary competitions.

The bulk of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour last two weeks, as do all four major championships.

Players can skip required tournaments if they are hurt or have private matters, but they will receive no points for the standings or financial rewards if they do not play.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic, who has slimmed down his tournament appearances in recent years to preserve his health, has urged fellow professionals to be better aligned in forcing change.