Mental health issues are very present in high-level sport, and tennis is no exception. Following the testimonies of Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu, who spoke openly about their problems, Tennis Canada will unveil, this morning, the broad outlines of a strategy which took 15 months to develop and which aims to tackle head-on mental health issues for its athletes.
This project, developed in partnership with the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa as well as the Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport (CCSMS), in particular, aims to improve, through at different levels, the well-being of athletes, coaches and any member involved with Tennis Canada.
It is notably based on science; data will be compiled and used to refine the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada, launched by the CCSMS in 2021.
“As a former player, I would have liked this plan to have been there when I was playing,” admitted Valérie Tétreault, who now acts as director of the National Bank Open. Especially to ensure the transition between the junior and professional ranks.”
According to her, this is one of the most psychologically difficult periods in a tennis player’s career.
“When you play junior, you are supervised by the federation. When you travel, it’s as part of a tour and, therefore, even if it remains an individual sport, you are surrounded by other Canadian players and you have a bit of the impression of being part of a team. When you make the transition to the pros, unless you have a huge team with you, you go through it alone. You find yourself among lots of other players, often older than you, and who have the goal of earning a living.”
The example of Andreescu
In Andreescu’s case, it’s not necessarily the transition to the pros, but rather a mix of injuries and growing attention brought on by her success, combined with her victory at the U.S. Open and the pandemic , which meant that she had to take a break from her sport.
This is one example among many, but when it is a Grand Slam winner who talks about it, the impact is increased tenfold on other players, believes Tétreault.
“For years, we invested a lot to be able to bring out the best physically from each athlete even if we continued to repeat that tennis is 80% in the head.
“The tools available to them today may be able to get them to stay in the sport longer. When I played, I didn’t have much balance. It was tennis, tennis, tennis and that led me to retire early to be able to find a better balance.”
A multi-step plan
The plan established by Tennis Canada in collaboration with its partners will therefore aim, among other things, to help everyone involved in high-level tennis maintain a balance through training, increased support and various resources available. of all.
Moreover, a doctoral student from the University of Ottawa will be responsible for collecting data for research by supervising this project which will be deployed in the National Tennis Center and the Canadian teams from 2024, in the competition structures from 2025 and in provincial clubs and academies by 2026.