Venus Williams says paying attention to her mental health made her 'tough'

 Tennis star Venus Williams says that paying attention to her mental health has made her “tough.”

In a guest essay published in The New York Times on Saturday, Williams opened up about how tending to her mental health has been crucial to her life both on and off the tennis court.

“My sister Serena and I were taught that we’d have to fight harder than other players to get the respect we deserved. That’s what I thought 'tough' meant,” Williams wrote.

“Paying attention to my psychological well being has allowed me to love the game of tennis for this long. I guess you could say, it’s the thing that has really made me tough,” she continued.

Williams recalled first learning about the importance of mental health at the age of 14, when she was getting ready to compete in her first professional tennis tournament.

She added that she focused on her mental health following her diagnosis with Sjögren's syndrome— an autoimmune disease caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body’s cells and tissues.

Williams said it was “frustrating” to see that only half of those who have mental illness get the treatment they need, adding that mental health is even more important with the “devastating impact” of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tennis star partnered with therapy service BetterHelp and the Women’s Tennis Association to provide $2 million toward free therapy for those who sign up.

“I am excited to lend my voice to destigmatizing mental illness, and it starts here: Let’s show up for ourselves and for each other and recognize what it takes to be truly strong,” she wrote.

Williams’ comments come as the issue of mental health has garnered attention in the sports world in the past year. Several prominent athletes including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and tennis champion Naomi Osaka have spoken about the importance of making their mental health a priority.

Notably, Osaka has been vocal about her struggles with anxiety and depression in recent months, and, as a result, withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon to focus on her mental health.

Earlier this month, Osaka suggested that she would take a break from the sport following her third-round loss in the U.S. open.

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/571863-venus-williams-says-attention-her-mental-health-has-made-her