Former World No.4 Robin Soderling is best known for handing Rafael Nadal his first loss at Roland Garros. The Swede rose to the limelight but suddenly vanished as quickly as his ascent.

After several injuries and a recurring bout with mononucleosis, Soderling was forced to retire from professional tennis in 2015. In a lengthy Instagram post, he opened up about his mental health during the time he was unable to play tennis due to injury.

The Swede revealed he suffered anxiety attacks due to his uncertain future at the time, but was fortunate enough to have the support of others.

"I was lucky enough to have my wife and friends that cared for and helped me." Soderling disclosed. "It's a lonely and awful place to be, and I believe it would have been impossible to go through this on my own".

He went on to state that it was time to address mental illness in professional athletes. Furthermore, educating the next generation would equip them with the tools needed to fight these mental health issues.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWV9XBDDGn/[/embed]