"The more people talk about it, the better" - Jannik Sinner on mental health

Jannik Sinner is part of the mental health initiative raising awareness about the importance of mental health during the pandemic.

The Italian is seeking to destigmatize talking about mental health because for him it's important to have an environment where everyone including athletes can talk openly about that. Sinner observed many in his generation dealing with different types of mental health issues and he wants more people talking about it because it's important.

"My generation has been really struggling when it comes to mental health, especially throughout the pandemic, people have felt isolated and alone due to the uncommon circumstances we found ourselves in, so I feel the more people that can talk about it and destigmatise it the better, creating a community where everyone feels safe to talk about how they feel was and is the goal."

Sinner is happy to give back to society using his position of increased influence among the youth to do good. He explained:

"For me it’s been great, to feel like I am able to give back a little bit and use the platform that I have for good. The project has received some great feedback and a lot of support, it’s very inspiring for me to see people get behind this and show their support. One reason for making this project was that I feel like everyone has a story, no matter what walk of life you are from or what stage of your life you are in, everyone has a story which should be told. So far, I have spoken to a mixture of people from athletes to young aspiring tennis players, and everyone has been able to share their positive and negative experiences of the last few years, to hear everyone’s stories has been a privilege for me."