Emil Ruusuvuori made it into the world’s top 40 at his peak. Then he suddenly stopped playing tournaments. Now he reveals why he hasn’t touched a racket for months.
Finnish tennis pro Emil Ruusuvuori has not been seen on the ATP Tour for some time – now the 26-year-old has revealed that this was due to mental health issues. The former world number 37 said in an Instagram post that he had suffered from recurring and increasing panic attacks and other mental health problems over the past year.
That is why he took a six-month break from competition. “I didn’t touch a tennis racket for four and a half months – I just couldn’t go on court,” he wrote. He said it was extremely important to look after his mental well-being.
Osaka also took a break
The Finn thus addressed an issue that has been preoccupying the tennis scene and top-level sport in general for some time. Among others, former world number one Naomi Osaka from Japan reported suffering from depression and anxiety a few years ago and later took an extended break to protect her mental health.
Fallen far behind in the world rankings
Ruusuvuori was long considered Finland’s best tennis player. During his career, the right-hander defeated tennis greats such as Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev and, at Wimbledon in 2024, Greek top 10 player Stefanos Tsitsipas.
He is currently only ranked 235th in the men’s world rankings. He played his last match on the ATP Tour in Washington in July 2024. He has been playing tournaments again since February, but so far only at the lower Challenger and ITF levels.
