On Day 10 of the 2023 US Open, the tournament held a mental health forum, “Mental Health and Sport: Why it Matters,” featuring Naomi Osaka, Michael Phelps, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Brian Hainline, President and Chairman of the Board of the USTA.
The conversation ranged from mental toughness, loneliness, advocacy, transparency and social media’s impact on mental health, and Phelps and Osaka were open about the things they do to take care of themselves, as well as their hopes for the future.
Osaka, a two-time US Open singles champion, and Phelps, a 23-time Olympic gold medalist, have both been advocates for mental health in sports and in society. Hainline, an M.D., is a medical researcher and the chief medical officer for the NCAA. He is particularly passionate about mental health and the idea of sport as a public good. As a result, Hainline hopes to set an example for society that mental health matters, and to eradicate the existing stigma of seeking mental healthcare on and off the court.
“It means the world to me, but more importantly it goes back to the US Open and sport taking an ethical responsibility that sport is such an important forum,” Hainline said. “So we're trying to make a platform about what really is important, how sport can be a positive agent of change.”
Hainline also hearkened back to a hero of his, Nelson Mandela, who said that sport has the power to change the world. The USTA President added to the sentiment, saying that sports have a responsibility to make a positive impact on society.
Osaka praised the US Open and tennis for the ways they have embraced mental health and made strides to stop the stigma surrounding the topic. She hasn’t been on tour this year, but said that the WTA and tournaments have been doing “an amazing job,” and that Iga Swiatek traveling with a sports psychologist is normalizing mental health as a crucial component of performance.
“I have seen tennis grow so much in the mental health aspect, something that I'm really proud of, and the US Open has been always super innovative in that way, too,” the former world No. 1 said. “For me, I just want it to be less of a taboo subject. I still feel like there's a really big stigma against mental health. I think that more people should know that there are so many benefits to just talking about what you're going through and learning different skills.”
The two-time US Open champion last played at the WTA 500 event in Tokyo last September, and just gave birth to a daughter earlier this summer. Osaka announced that she will be back for the 2024 Australian Open, and that her break from tennis has only increased her love of the sport.
Osaka said that, when she was younger, she never thought she’d play as long as Serena and Venus Williams, but now, she’s considering it.
“[The break] really raised my love for the sport. It made me realize I'm not going to play forever,” Osaka said. “I've been playing tennis since I was 3. I don't think I can predict what I'll do. I never am able to do that, but it definitely made me appreciate a lot of things that I took for granted.”
Phelps began struggling with his mental health after the 2004 Olympics, and repressed his feelings for a long time. He reached a breaking point in 2014, and began to seek help, despite his fear of the stigma associated with mental health. He shared some of the ways he takes care of himself, such as reaching out to friends for help when he needs it, and checking in on them to see how they’re doing. Phelps also no longer shoves his feelings down, and gets it out of his system by writing it down or talking it out.
“I think we have come a long way in the last 10 years, but I also think people, everybody, human beings, need to get the help and care they need,” Phelps said. “I don't think everybody has that opportunity, so we see the suicide rate continue to fly up. I want that to stop. My number one mission is to try to lower that thing.
"Saving a life for me is way more important than ever winning an Olympic gold medal.”
