“I feel like I play better when I’m calm. There is an inner peace I can tap into sometimes during my matches.” Naomi Osaka

The stressors in sport are more common than you think. Even elite athletes struggle to cope with the often-grueling competition. The constant pressure to win takes a toll on their health, both physical and mental.

Most teams employ medical personnel, including doctors, trainers, and physiotherapists, to address physical injury and issues.

However, that is not the case when an athlete experiences a mental health issue. In sport, mental health and mental illness have been overlooked until recently, with more and more players speaking up about their struggles.

Naomi Osaka on the Spotlight

To many surprises, Naomi Osaka pulled out of the 2021 French open. The 22-year-old tennis player is one of the highest-paid tennis players in the world. That is one example that no one is immune to mental health problems.

Citing mental health reasons, the four-time major champion announced on Twitter last Monday that she will not participate in the French Open after organizers threatened to expel her after her refusal to participate in news conferences at the tournament. To address the reasons behind such a decision, she revealed that she has battled media anxiety and bouts of depression over the years.

This is just one overwhelming evidence that mental health issues in sport are as common as physical issues. Many elite athletes have expressed mental health concerns during or after they have retired from the sport.

They have been the images of strength, hustle, drive, and masculinity throughout popularized sports. Iconic athletes like DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Marshall, and Michael Philps have suffered and opened up about mental health struggles. Even though they encompass the common images of extremely physically healthy individuals, they aren’t immune to such problems.

The withdrawal of Naomi Osaka has also prompted questions about the role of the media in mental health issues in sports.

Media and Mental Health of Athletes

Competitive sport is ruthless with no room to show your vulnerability or weakness. Team cultures can often be one of ‘win at all costs.’ Then there is the constant media interest or scrutiny. The replies ranged from “shameful” to “he’s a millionaire who should suck it up.”

Many assume that mental health issues in athletes are rare, as they are often perceived to be extremely physically healthy individuals. Top elite athletes are idealized within the media, often subjected to a large fan base, potentially giving the perception that they are immune to such problems.

Yet the issues are real. Admitting mental health struggles make media look at players negatively, even the teams often look at their players differently.

The biggest misconception is that athletes shouldn’t have mental health problems. The media talk about these issues as if they aren’t real or aren’t legitimate. Disbelief has been quickly followed by the stigmatization of the situation. For example, instead of offering cooperation, the Grand Slam authority enforce a penalty of $15,000 and even warned that if she continued to not talk to the media, she could face suspension from future Grand Slam tournaments and even harsher penalties. Eventually, she withdrew from the tournament entirely—a move that surprised officials.

Even, tennis icon Billie Jean King criticized her, saying, “In our day, without the press, nobody would have known who we are or what we thought. There is no question [the press] helped build and grow our sport to what it is today.”

The good thing is more and more athletes are opening up once Naomi shared about her struggles in her Instagram statement. The more athletes talk, the more others will feel inspired to seek help on their own. Many athletes, journalists, and some online mental health start-ups are coming forward to support Naomi.

As guardian columnist Van Badham wrote, “What a powerful statement of affirmation and solidarity it would be to millions of human beings with mental illnesses to just let Osaka manage her own health, judge her own game and focus on tennis.”

Nina Vasan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Real and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, said, “Naomi is already a role model to so many for her talent, hard work, and sportsmanship. Now she is modeling the incredible strength it takes to come forward and talk openly about your own mental health.” Dr. Vasan further noted that Osaka’s story shows that boundaries are critical, especially when it comes to prioritizing your own health at work. She adds, “She’s helping bring about a long-overdue conversation on how workplaces need to be much more supportive of mental health.”

Even better, mindfulness app Calm has pledged to pay tennis superstar Naomi Osaka’s media fine for her no-show at the Grand Slam media obligations due to mental health issues. On top of shouldering Osaka’s fine, Calm also shelled out an additional matching $15,000 donation to grassroots program Laureus Sport and has promised to do the same for future fines from Osaka or other players.

Naomi Osaka has also received outpouring messages of support from celebrities and professional athletes alike. For example, basketball player Stephen Curry has extended his support in a Twitter post saying, “You shouldn’t ever have to make a decision like this-but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be don’t protect their own. Major respect.”

Final Thoughts

There are many roadblocks for athletes seeking help for mental health challenges (e.g., poor mental health literacy, negative past experience, fear of confronting issues, to name a few), but recent research suggests that stigma is considered the most important barrier among young elite athletes and college athletes. Young athletes need to understand that it’s basic self-care.

In addition, mental health should be taken more seriously in sports. Athletes and sports leaders need to work together to create safe spaces for athletes to ask for help when they are troubled — without it coming at a cost. The idea that seeking help for mental health problems makes the athlete appear ‘weak’ needs to be addressed from both a general media perspective and from the perspective of the athlete themselves.

If you are struggling with mental health issues or just need help with self-care visit www.livingwellcentre.com and schedule a consultation to start your journey to overall well-being.