In May 2021, Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka raised concerns about her mental health after withdrawing from the French Open. Prominent sports people from the past and the present including the likes of American tennis star Serena Williams.
Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt and American swimming great Michael Phelps, rallied around Osaka. They not only offered words and deeds of support, but also admiration and praise for courageously bringing to light her own vulnerability, making the world take note of a very sensitive topic.
Not long after, during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. American gymnast and multiple gold medallist Simone Biles highlighted the issue once again. Voluntarily sitting out of several events due to mental issues, Biles act kept the global discussion on mental health in sports going.
Physical activity and sports have had a positive role in the mental health make-up of people and this has been the case ever since some form of sports made its way into human society. While this still remains a fact, the brave acts of Osaka and Biles shows that there is a flip side to it as well for an elite athlete.
The unsustainable expectations around high-profile athletes, the constant need to keep on improving the almost unbearable public pressure to win at all costs and the relatively short career spans for most sports people are some of the factors that take a toll on the mental health of an elite athlete.
Showing signs of weakness is often frowned upon, but by raising their hands and getting the conversation started, the likes of Osaka and Biles have not only done good for themselves, but the sporting community at large. What’s more, these instances of athletes prioritising their mental health and receiving support world over has had a spillover effect on organisations and workforces across the globe.
Bubble trouble
If playing a sport at the highest level takes a toll under normal circumstances, it has become doubly difficult during the pandemic era. These elite athletes are not only performing at their best on the sporting arena, but are also made to live in a bubble, often away from family and friends.
Sports people and governing agencies throughout the world have tried to reduce the burden on the athletes, as jumping from one bubble to another is costing an individual both physically and mentally.
When England’s allrounder Ben Stokes takes the field for an Ashes Test later this year in Australia, he will be getting back after an indefinite break from the game. While this break was partly taken to give himself time to recover from physical injuries, he also made it clear that it was also to give him time away from a sport he loved for his own mental well-being.
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