Bianca Andreescu hopes more athletes talk about mental health

Bianca Andreescu did not play at the Olympic Games because of several reasons but the Canadian tennis star is glad mental health is getting talked about.

The decision to skip the Olympics was not an easy one for Bianca Andreescu who always dreamt of playing at the Olympics. The primary reason for the withdrawal was the pandemic and lack of fans and the pressure. Andreescu is just one of many players that recently spoke about mental health.

"I’ve always dreamt about playing at the Olympics. Simone (Biles) spoke about mental health, and people don’t talk about it enough. It would be good, Andreescu said, if people like Simone, Naomi or myself speak up and if we come to the public as a collective."

The Canadian player understood the importance of mental health early in her career because she was advised to work on it:

“And so I started. I am a spiritual person and I have a lot of time for myself outside the sport.”

One thing that helps her is her love for animals:

“Dogs bring so much joy and companionship, and are literally your best friend. That unconditional love — it would be super good if humans could do that. I’m so grateful to have Coco."

When it comes to tennis she said:

“Every day I want to get better. I want to continue to make history in this sport, play the Olympics, play more Grand Slam events, inspire other people — I want to remind them, even in tough times, to persevere.”