American tennis starAmanda Anisimova is takinga break from the sport, citingconcerns forher mental health, the Women's Tennis Association said.
Anisimova wrote on Instagram Friday that she was struggling with "mental health and burnout sincethe summer of 2022."
"It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time," she wrote.
Anisimova said she "worked as hard a I could to push through it." She addedshe wouldmissplaying and thanked people for their continuous support.Anisimova is 21 years old andiscurrently ranked No. 46.
She reached the 2019French Open semifinals afterbeating reigning champion Simona Halep at age 17, becomingthe youngest womanto get that far at a major tournamentsince 2006.
Later that year, she lost her father and longtime coach Konstantin, who died at 52 from a heart attack.
Anisimova reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon a year ago, upsetting Coco Gauff.She twice reached the fourth round of theAustralian Open and beat defending champion Naomi Osaka at the 2022event in Melbourne.
Athletes reveal mental health struggles
High expectationsand pressure have led several athletes to talkpublicly abouttheir own struggleswith their mental healthin recent years.
In 2021, Japanese superstar and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from theFrench Open tournamentafter refusing to speak to the media during the event, citing deterioratingmental health.
She revealed she had suffered from depression and anxiety since winning her first major championship in 2018.
TheNational Alliance on Mental Illnessreported that1 in 5 adults in the United Statesexperience an issue related to their mental healtheach year.
Professional sports unions in the country are also teaming up to bring attention to Mental Health Awareness Month, which is observed in May in the United States.
rm/msh (AP, AFP)
