A tennis player's career is very different from what we see on TV. From our perspective, we see smiling and happy people enjoying playing their sport. However, the other side is much darker than we think.
The trend in recent years shows that an increasing number of athletes, but also ordinary people, are openly talking about their mental difficulties and challenges.
Bjrn Borg, a well-known face of the tennis scene, had a brilliant career, but suddenly ended his career at 26.
His departure from the court is still a topic of discussion among tennis analysts and fans.
In his memoir, the Swedish tennis player openly talks about his career, challenges and struggles with addiction.
Borg began to experience panic attacks in early 1982 and then began using drugs. In his book, he admits that, when he tried cocaine, he felt at the peak of his career and life.
One moment that particularly stuck in his memory occurred in 1989, when he looked at his father from a hospital bed in the Netherlands.
Borg had no one to guide him back to the right path at the time, and it seemed he wanted to leave tennis and pursue something else. He was already deeply addicted and did not know how to cope with the pressures of professional sports.
Revelations
Tennis fans and public figureswere already shocked by some of his revelations. The Swedish tennis player went through a lot, and no one knew the other side of his life.
On the court, we saw him as a fighting tennis player, calm and dedicated, who gave his maximum, while on the other hand he struggled with mental difficulties, not having the right person to give him advice and try to convince him otherwise.
At that time, mental health was not a much discussed issue; most people suppressed their emotions.
Borg, like most, was afraid to openly show his weaknesses.
