"I think so many players have a very big ego": Thiago Agustin Tirante opens up on mental health battles stemming from ATP culture
ATP
Thiago Agustin Tirante has opened up on his mental health struggles after reaching the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open, admitting he has not been happy for several years after he saw off Alexander Shevchenko – who is now coached by Ernests Gulbis.
The Argentine spoke to Bolavip about the difficulties on the tennis circuit and the personal challenges he faced as a player.
Reaching the semi-finals was a big achievement for Tirante, but he admitted that it wasn't the be-all and end-all in the context of everything else, as he tries to find happiness in tennis again after a tricky time in his life during which he admitted he was struggling to feel comfortable with the demands of tennis.
He also admits that others find it difficult to open up about their mental health. Tirante believes that the lack of communication between competitors combined with big egos makes it harder to find the support needed.
Tennis comes at a price admits Tirante
After years of struggling mentally, he is enjoying tennis again and learning to appreciate the positives no matter the results, but given his struggles, it does come at a price.
“The most important thing for me at the moment is not the win or the good results, but that I am enjoying playing tennis and feeling happy again. I haven’t really been happy for the last couple of years, but I am happy now.”
“I am starting to understand what tennis means, and the most important thing for me has definitely been to improve my mental health. I have always had the game, but I wasn’t feeling mentally well.”
One of the biggest challenges TIrante has faced throughout his career is travelling alone, and it doesn't paint this glamorous image of tennis that is perceived of money and fame.
“It’s very tough to travel alone on the tour. There are so many things that people don’t see, especially outside of the court. I think people always think we are on vacation, but we are going to so many tournaments, taking care of flights, hotels and all this.”
“It is a part of our life, but I just didn’t realise that in the past. Now, I know that this is my life. I have been through so many changes in my life because I am just a very humble guy from Argentina, where I grew up with my family.”
“The difference between the life I grew up with and the life I have now, just living in a bubble compared to the life and the house I grew up with in Argentina, is big. It is a very different life now. It took me a lot of difficult years to realise.”
He also addressed the lack of communication between players when it comes to mental health. Asked whether he believes competitors are doing enough to support each other, he was critical of the atmosphere on the tour. He accused them of having egos and said that it is difficult to speak to other players.
“No, no, no, we are not good enough at speaking to each other about it between the players, but I think so many players have a very big ego, which is a big problem that the tour has. The top players are very close people, and they have their own team."
“It is quite difficult to speak to other players about it. Maybe I can speak to players from Argentina but not to other players, because they are not that open. I am a very warm person. I think Argentinians are just like that, but not the European players. The Europeans are not like that. So, it’s very difficult to open up to other players, because they don’t really give you the answer you need.”
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