Daria Kasatkina Slams Tennis Calendar and Takes Break from ‘Monotonous Daily Grind of Life’ After Poor 2025 Season

Daria Kasatkina's last match of the 2025 season was her second-round match against Britain's Sonay Kartal.

Daria Kasatkina Slams Tennis Calendar and Takes Break from ‘Monotonous Daily Grind of Life’ After Poor 2025 Season

Daria Kasatkina (Image via X/The Tennis Channel)

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Daria Kasatkina has hit a wall, and not picking up her racket for a while is what she is going to do at present. On Monday (October 6th), Kasatkina took to Instagram story to share a lengthy post, announcing that she won’t be playing anymore this season.

She started the post by writing how women all over the world say “I’m fine” when, in fact, that’s often not the case; that 2025 was her “I’m fine” year. Kasatkina did not want to open up about her mental struggles because she was afraid of being called weak or ungrateful, which she said she is not. She also criticized the hectic 11-month tennis calendar and the fatigue that comes with doing the same task on a daily basis.

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

Daria Kasatkina wrote on Instagram story

Kasatkina also addressed the problems she is dealing with after switching nationality from Russia to Australia because of the former country’s LGBTQ stance as well as its war with Ukraine.

Add in to the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch, not being able to see my parents (4 years now for my father and I), plus the ongoing battles to gain full Australian competition eligibility, it’s a lot and there is only so much I can deal with and take as an individual woman, all whilst competing with the best female athletes in the world. If this makes me weak, then so be it, I’m weak. However, I know I am strong and will get stronger by being away and recharging.

Daria Kasatkina added

Kasatkina will next be playing in the 2026 season. She was last seen in action at the China Open, where her run ended with a straight-set defeat to Britain’s Sonay Kartal in the opening round.

Daria Kasatkina failed to reach a final in 2025

Last year, Daria Kasatkina featured in six finals, while this year, she has not once reached a championship clash. From those finals, Kasatkina clinched two titles, the last of which was the Ningbo Open, where she went past Mirra Andreeva in three sets.

Daria Kasatkina
Daria Kasatkina (Image via X/Jimmie48 Photography)

This season, forget about finals; the 28-year-old failed to even reach more than one quarterfinal. She played in the last eight just once- at the Adelaide International, where eventual champion Madison Keys ended her campaign.

In the four Grand Slam events, Kasatkina reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the French Open, while at Wimbledon and the US Open, she crashed out in the third round. In the ongoing Asian swing, the World No.19 featured in two events. Before her opening-round defeat in Beijing, Kasatkina lost to Katerina Siniakova in her opening-round match at the Korea Open, where last year, she lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the final.

Kasatkina has yet to win a Big Title in her career. The former World No.8 produced her best Grand Slam performance when she progressed to the semifinals of the 2022 French Open. In the WTA 1000 events, only once she reached a final, at the 2018 Indian Wells.

The next year, Kasatkina is expected to feature at the Brisbane International to kick-start her 2026 campaign. In this year’s event in Brisbane, the eight-time singles title winner lost to Polina Kudermetova in the round of 16.

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