The United States Tennis Association launched a new mental health initiative for players in this year’s U.S. Open, which is currently underway. The effort follows tennis star Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open earlier this year, where she revealed struggles with her mental health and sparked a flurry of media conversations about what’s appropriate to expect and demand of athletes. Offering licensed mental health providers and quiet rooms among other services, the program also aims to combat stigma. We’ll talk about the initiative, as well as what it means for sports governing bodies to meaningfully address athletes’ mental health concerns.
US Open Tennis Tournament Launches Mental Health Initiative
Naomi Osaka of Japan serves against Marie Bouzkova of Czech Republic during their women's singles first round match on Day One of the 2021 US Open. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Guests:
LZ Granderson, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, ABC contributor and host of the podcast “Living Out Loud with LZ Granderson”
Dr. Ashley Zapata, sports psychologist with an M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology; co-coordinator, Diversity in Sport SIG for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology<br />
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