Tennis players and mental health: you need to learn to handle pressure and know that there is life after the sport

Although the defeat of Simona Halep at Roland Garros it is a certain way a sports surprise, as he won 6-2 and lost the last two sets 6-1 against a lowly rival, knowing that a few hours later he had gone through a very sad moment on the court, a very desperate situation (a panic attack, e.g. as he said.), this leads me to a reflection on the role that we humans have. In school and college we learn math, science, history. But we are not taught to manage our emotions.

What happens when these situations are lived by people who from the outside see themselves as successful and therefore believe that they should be representatives of fulfillment and happiness because of their sporting achievements? They need to act on the matter.

TheEnough has been said about the carelessness of the athlete, who at one point quit his career and standing right in front of nothingness. And in that situation, it seems to forget the only response to someone who used to be so many people around him.

With success, friends know who you are. In defeat, in failure, you know who your friends really are. Tennis, like any other sports discipline, has some pressure, which comes early. In some cases, it is to survive financially so as not to give up the possibility of becoming a professional tennis player. In other cases, it’s defending a rank or serving to win one of the biggest games of a race.

Not everyone gets training. Physical performance, resistance, strength, various shots are trained … All for the tennis player to fulfill his dreams. But many times it doesn’t make the flesh to understand that the important thing is not the achievement or the ranking but the person you will be when you achieve all that.

The athlete knows that very well bad weather has an expiration date. One does not know when, but with work and perseverance they are finished. They can be reversed. It’s harder to understand that the good, as number one or champion, no longer exist. there is the risk of falling into the fact that the ego has control over your lifeof your decisions and thoughts. That almost as an addictive thing, being -but from the number, the one, or the one who won the most-, ends up being a deadly combination.

In every athlete there is a life in which many find an abyss. Or not at all. They have no reason to live. I personally feel what they said Naomi Osaka of Halep. But without achieving many of these things, it’s sometimes hard for me to understand how some athletes get what most don’t. they became slaves and prisoners of those victories.

Osaka had its hardships in moments of supreme glory, when tears were unmatched. That effort is appreciated, but the backpack ends up being heavy and dragging often becomes impossible.

That is why I believe that the environment of these great figures has a responsibility to keep their feet on the ground. They must value the reality of success, which is often naturalized. Personal nerves and environment not only mark the training task, but also prepare you for the aftermath. They prepare you when you need to say goodbye.

Otherwise, starting a new life is more difficult, because that’s not thought of. What do I do now? Now who am I? Now what do I do? These are the necessary questions to ask.

We must take care that the ego is out of control and eat into our successes, surely getting a title is no more important than who you are after that success. It’s intriguing to get into their heads to understand what’s going on with them.

From afar, I understand that as a society we have a big problem: we don’t know how to handle our emotions. Treat people well when you go up, because these are also the people you will look for when you go down. And I’m not talking about Halep or Osaka or any of the athletes who may have had trouble handling these situations.

For many, these are people who have met more than one and go to places where so many dream to be. For foreign eyes, they are difficult to understand. Clearly it has nothing to do with success but with existential questions that are far from clear. It has to do with looking at the edges and seeing that life is more than just a game, a ranking or a championship.

We’ve seen great sports figures who have shown tremendous strength in their decisive moments, but perhaps letting go has started their nightmares. You have to learn to live. That is why there are certain principles that those in formation should keep in mind. No athlete can forget that at some point they will stop. The sport has a very cruel side: they always forget the champion, the winner.

Going back to Halep, the excuse to talk about this topic, if 20 or 25 years ago they told him everything he could reach and who he would be, he would definitely sign. However, now for him, being on a tennis court ends up being a kind of slavery.

Building an identity around achievements can be one of the worst mistakes an athlete makes. You have to understand that one is more important than a Grand Slam and being number one is only part of a game.

The huge challenge is knowing how to let go. The good life after sport is worth living.