"I’m sorry I’ve hit rock bottom": Federico Agustin Gomez reveals depression battle

Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez has opened up about mental health issues in a letter to his fans. The 28-year-old shared a painful side of his story in a post on the social media platform, where he explained that he has been struggling with mental health issues and has had to deal with suicidal thoughts as well.

“Dear tennis… The sport that has given me everything and at the same time has taken away so many other things from me,” he wrote. “I’m sorry I’ve hit rock bottom, but in turn I want to grab myself from this situation to grab momentum and push myself up to come back to the surface. Couldn’t talk to anyone so I searched for the best option in my opinion. This may come as a surprise to many but 2024 was undoubtedly the best year of my tennis career, but in turn, the worst year personally, and this last time was no exception.

"The last 6 months have been some of the hardest I’ve ever had to live as a human being. Living with thoughts of leaving tennis completely, of really questioning myself if all this is really worth it and even repeatedly suicidal thoughts of not wanting to live anymore and leave this world, which make me very difficult to express but I wanted you to know who can understand actions or behaviors that I possibly had lately and this seeks to explain that a bit. It’s really hard for me to write all this without crying to more than I can’t, but I think it’s the best decision I could have made right now to take off this huge weight that I sit on and it eats my head 24/7.

He continued by writing: “I don’t write all this looking for some minute of fame, but I do it so you know and understand that we all have internal struggles that we are living despite not being shown or hidden in the day to day. Hopefully after opening up a bit (something that costs me so much) I can feel a bit better about myself and be able to live a bit more peacefully doing what I love which is playing tennis. I’m thankful to have the people around me who try to get the best out of me even though this is a very difficult task. I will try to regain that natural joy that characterized me and mainly feel good about myself again knowing that “its okay not to be okay”.  As I said before, it hurts me to open up like this but I felt the need to tell you a little bit about my situation. I’m still looking for the best version of me. I will work towards that emotional wellness I once felt. Atte, The Fat Gomez.”

Agustin Gomez is not the first tennis player who has opened up about having to deal with suicidal thoughts. In 2019, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios admitted that he had to receive therapy after dealing with suicidal thoughts after participating at Wimbledon. Another Australian player, Destanee Aiava, has also revealed in the recent past that she was diagnosed with ‘personality disorder’ after having to deal with suicidal tendencies. Agustin Gomez has also recently experienced turbulent times on the court. He has lost three consecutive qualifiers. He is now set to play in the qualifier round of Indian Wells, where he will face America’s Rudy Quan.