Kasatkina ready for Brisbane after mental health reset

Dec 30 : ‌Australia's Daria Kasatkina said she feels mentally recharged ahead of her return to tennis at the Brisbane International after taking a six-week mental health break.

Russian-born Kasatkina, who switched nationality in March, shut her season down in October citing the mental strain of a heavy tour schedule and emotional ‌stress from her battle to gain full ‌Australian competition eligibility.

"For us tennis players, it is very difficult to accept that you need a break," she told Australian Associated Press on Tuesday.

"We have tournament after tournament and we have to defend the points from the previous season which is an additional ‍anxiety. I just felt that if I pushed for longer I would have got in a deeper hole."

Kasatkina, who has not returned to Russia in over two years after coming out as gay and ​speaking out against the war ‌in Ukraine, said it took her some time to be at ease away from tennis.

"The first three weeks ​was a disaster," she said.

"It was really difficult. I just wasn't enjoying ⁠it. I found myself being ‌super unhappy and in a really dark place.

"After six weeks ​I feel like I am finally recharged.

"I needed to do this to understand there are certain limits you can ‍push through and then you have to give yourself space to ⁠stay a sane person."

The Brisbane International, one of the tune-up events for ​the Australian Open Grand ‌Slam, begins on Sunday.