The demanding schedule on the ATP and WTA tours can have a negative impact on players’ mental health, tennis great Roger Federer said on Saturday.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion retired from the sport in September after traveling around the world multiple times during a career that spanned nearly a quarter century.
While Federer was a month shy of his 40th birthday when he played his last competitive singles match, the Swiss admitted that the cost of chasing titles and ranking points week after week can take its toll on players.
“You are supposed to show strength. But we are not machines, we are human beings,” Federer said at a press conference in Tokyo.
“When players retire at a very young age, I totally understand it. We see it from time to time. I always feel like it’s a shame, because a lot could still happen in the future.
“The tour is hard… the travel, the practice, the jet lag. No one is allowed to say, ‘I’m tired today’, because it looks like you’re weak, and that’s why players sometimes end up with mental problems.
Several tennis professionals have spoken out about their mental health issues, including Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, while Ash Barty shocked the tennis world earlier this year when he retired from the sport less than two months after winning the Australian Open. with only 25 years.
Federer added that the strict doping regime also puts pressure on the players, who must report their whereabouts to the relevant authorities on a daily basis.
“We have to fill in the doping forms every day, one hour during the day, wherever you are,” said the 41-year-old Swiss.
“You are always aware in the back of your head that they could arrive at any moment, especially at that hour.
“I don’t think I was that aware of it, of how much that thought is always there, and it travels with you, until you walk away and then you realize all the stress is gone.”
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