With a demanding tennis calendar, the chorus of discontent grew louder, as World No. 2 Iga Świątek and World No. 3 Coco Gauff openly challenged the relentless WTA schedule – calling out the strain of 10 mandatory WTA 1000s and six WTA 500s. From Beijing, Świątek admitted she would have to skip events “to stay healthy,” while Gauff declared playing six 500s is “impossible.” With Daria Kasatkina now joining that exodus from the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova rises as the unexpected symbol of resilience in a tour gasping for balance.

As the news of Kasatkina ending her season early rippled across the tennis world, journalist Jon Wertheim shared a searing X post. Highlighting the grueling tennis schedule, he penned: “Immutable forces: time, gravity, the amount of tennis human beings – even when lured by bonuses and ‘mandatory’ tournaments – can endure. Maybe one day the tours accept this? ….Kasatkina ends season early and says ‘I am at breaking point.’” Soon after, a fan re-shared Wertheim’s post, invoking how Amanda Anisimova prioritized her well-being by taking some time off. 

The fan added, “Players have to be thinking about how Anisimova took time off and what’s happened since.” To this, Wertheim responded in agreement and replied, “Really good point…not only are players fried. There is now a growing body of evidence that you can get off the elliptical for a while and emerge better for it…”

And indeed, Amanda Anisimova’s story is a proof that stepping away can sometimes lead to revival. In May 2023, after enduring homesickness, burnout, and a personal tragedy, her professional career stalled, and she took a break from tennis to heal her mind and rediscover her joy. “I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health, and it was something that I did in my free time just to get my mind off of things,” she said. Painting became her refuge. And when she returned in 2024, she redefined herself. 

Her comeback was electric. She reached her first WTA 1000 final at the Canadian Open in 2024, then lifted her maiden 1000 trophy in Doha, overpowering Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. Then, in 2025 Wimbledon Championships, she crafted one of the most inspiring runs of the year. Seeded 13th, she stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach her first Grand Slam final at SW19. Even after a heartbreaking loss at the US Open, she rebounded by conquering the 2025 China Open, proving that rest doesn’t weaken champions; it refines them.

On the other hand, Daria Kasatkina joined a swelling wave of top players stepping away early from the WTA season, not in defeat, but in preservation. The world No. 19, worn and transparent, revealed her decision through a social media post confirming she would not play again until 2026. “I’ve hit a wall and I can’t continue. I need a break,” she wrote. 

Kasatkina’s decision now mirrors a pattern echoing through the locker rooms. Elina Svitolina, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Paula Badosa have all halted their seasons early. Svitolina admitted she was not “in the right emotional space” to continue, while Badosa, battling recurring injuries, confessed she struggled to push through “the toughest, most painful moments.” 

Even as voices grow louder, with Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz sounding alarms over burnout, nothing seems to truly change. Now, even Novak Djokovic has weighed in, urging the sport to face the uncomfortable truth: tennis cannot keep running players into the ground and expect brilliance to shine forever.

Novak Djokovic criticizes disunity amid Gauff-Alcaraz scheduling outcry

As the tennis season grinds deeper into exhaustion, the whispers of burnout grow louder. For Novak Djokovic, the problem runs deeper than scheduling or fatigue; it’s about unity, or rather, the lack of it. “In the end, as a player and someone that has been playing at the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that the players are not united enough, and players are not participating enough when they should be,” Djokovic said recently ahead of his Shanghai Masters clash against Marin Cilic.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion’s words carried the weight of experience and frustration. “They make the comments, complain, and then go away. And if something is wrong after a certain amount of time, they come back again,” he added, cutting through the noise of fleeting outrage.

For Djokovic, inconsistency is the true opponent. He called on players to commit, to invest their time, their energy, and their conviction, not just when convenient, but when it counts. Because without unity, as Djokovic warned, the dream of meaningful change will remain forever out of reach.