TENNIS: Kasatkina ready for Brisbane after mental health reset

Australia’s Daria Kasatkina says she feels mentally recharged ahead of her return to tennis at the Brisbane International after taking a six-week break to focus on her mental health.

The Russian-born player, who officially switched nationality in March, ended her season in October, citing the mental strain of a demanding tour schedule and the emotional stress of securing full Australian competition eligibility.

“For us tennis players, it is very difficult to accept that you need a break,” Kasatkina told the Australian Associated Press on Tuesday.

“We have tournament after tournament, and we have to defend the points from the previous season, which adds extra anxiety. I just felt that if I pushed myself further, I would have ended up in a deeper hole.”

Kasatkina, who has not returned to Russia in over two years after coming out as gay and speaking against the war in Ukraine, said it took time to find peace away from tennis.

“The first three weeks were a disaster,” she admitted.

“It was really difficult. I just wasn’t enjoying it. I found myself being extremely unhappy and in a really dark place. After six weeks, I feel like I am finally recharged. I needed this break to understand that there are limits you can push through, and then you have to give yourself space to stay sane.”

The Brisbane International, one of the lead-up events to the Australian Open Grand Slam, is set to begin on Sunday.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters