British tennis player Jack Draper opened up about the mental challenges faced by players on the professional tour.
“Of course, the ATP has implemented a mental health support system for players. Perhaps each national federation also has people providing such support. For a tennis player, the main difficulty is that the tour never stops. I`m speaking about it here, and people from the outside might think tennis is just Wimbledon. But in reality, tennis never stops. You constantly have to be at your peak – both physically and mentally. You have to avoid injuries, and all this, in my opinion, creates a lot of stress and pressure. Sometimes you just want to slow down and take a break, but that`s not possible in tennis. It`s very tough.”
He added, “I would say that`s the main difficulty on the tour. On the other hand, there are huge positives: we`re doing what we love, earning a lot, and spending time with people we enjoy being around. Despite all the problems, I am very grateful for this life. I consider myself incredibly fortunate in many ways.”
Draper also shared how he learned to concentrate not just on results, but on the enjoyment of the working process itself.
“I think maturity came into play – accepting responsibility for my actions and for how I view my work. It was harder when I was younger. My friends were going to university, doing their own things, and having fun. I think their childhoods lasted longer, with more time for recreation. Being a professional tennis player means being thrown into the adult world and being destined for hard work from a very young age. For some, it comes easier; for others, it`s harder. I went through this process, and of course, it was very difficult for me at first.”
“I think the turning point happened when I was ranked around 40 and realised I needed to get my life sorted outside of tennis. I had to take responsibility for other things in life as well. Because if I want to play tennis for a long time, I need to be able to switch off. So, I would say it`s about maturity, accepting responsibility for my life, and stopping the constant reliance on others. When you`re a young athlete, someone is always guiding you, telling you what`s best and right to do, but there comes a moment when you need to start enjoying the life you want to live and becoming the person you want to be. That is, simply growing up.”
