Four years ago, in May 2021, Naomi Osaka publicly addressed her struggles with depression and anxiety, a move that preceded her withdrawal from the French Open the following month to prioritize her mental health. In 2022, Andy Roddick lauded Osaka’s courage, “I think a lot of people are going through a lot of things and I respect naomi for kind of coming out and talking about it.” More recently, Sara Sorribes Tormo’s emotional moment has reignited this crucial dialogue, prompting Andy Roddick to again critique outdated approaches to mental well-being in professional sports. What specific criticisms did he offer this time?

Six days ago, Sara Sorribes Tormo officially announced an indefinite break from professional tennis, revealing the emotional and mental toll the sport has taken on her. In a heartfelt message shared on her IG, the 28-year-old Spaniard expressed that she has been “suffering” on the court for months and has lost the drive to train, improve, or even participate in tournaments. Despite her recent victory against Laura Pigossi in Spain’s 3-0 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers win over Brazil, she did not appear in any further matches. 

In his ‘Served’ podcast’s April 22nd episode titled, “Is Tennis Finally Taking Mental Health Seriously?” Roddick started the conversation, stating, “We had sports psychologists in the 90s, in the 80s, very, very prominent, very famous sports psychologists who were like, don’t you even f****** mention the fact that you’re feeling something bad. Like it was the opposite growing up. And it’s like for every person that could overcome it and deal with it. And that made sense.” Why, you ask?

“You don’t treat all your patients the same way. And it was like this lock, stock, lazy, get up, don’t even talk about it, chin up, go forward…I understood why it was an easy rinse and repeat for the people that were trying to profit off of it. But to say this is the way that everyone should process things mentally is fucking psychotic,” he added further.

In the summer of 2019, Paula Badosa took a significant step, arguably becoming one of the first top-tier tennis players to publicly address her battles with anxiety and depression through a revealing video about her mental health. “I’ve been struggling for years with a lot of depression. People were talking about me like I was the next big thing, the next Maria Sharapova. I felt like, ‘Wow, now I have to be a legend. Maybe next year, I have to be a Top 10 player.’ So, for me, it was a lot of pressure,” Badosa said on Break Point, as quoted on tennis.com in 2023.

Four months later, Amanda Anisimova announced an indefinite break in May 2023, citing. “I’ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,” the former world No. 21 American wrote on Instagram on Friday. “It’s become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I’ve worked as hard as I could to push through it.”

Following Sara Sorribes Tormo’s decision to take an indefinite break, she has received widespread support. 

Carlos Alcaraz opens up about “warrior” Sorribes Tormo’s break from tennis

Remember when Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Barcelona Open QF with a straight-sets win over Laslo Djere a couple of days ago? That R16 match held deeper significance, as Alcaraz later opened up about the mental challenges he’s faced on tour. 

“People—and we as players too—pay a lot of attention to social media. Unfortunately, we focus more on the negative than the positive, and it affects us. Tennis is a very demanding sport, and it’s nonstop week after week. You don’t realize you need to stop until you’ve reached a point where a few days off aren’t enough, and you need much longer,” he said.

Furthermore, Alcaraz, Sorribes Tormo’s 2024 Paris Olympic teammate, expressing his support to the Spaniard, said, “It’s a shame to see Sara, someone so cheerful, say these words and take a break from tennis for a few months. I hope she finds the answers she needs, and hopefully, we’ll see her smiling and fighting again soon—because she’s a warrior.”

As mental health continues to be a major focus in professional tennis, it’s essential for players to actively engage with it, as doing so can significantly enhance their well-being and overall impact on and off the court. What do you think?