Competitive sports often look flawless and fulfilling. But a new example shows that appearances are often deceptive.
The Argentine professional tennis player Federico Agustín Gómez has addressed the public with an emotional message. In the past few months, he has experienced severe mental health issues and even had suicidal thoughts, the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“It’s very difficult for me to write all this without crying, but I think it’s the best decision I could make at this moment to remove this great burden that I feel and that eats away at my thoughts 24/7,” Gómez shared. The current 135th in the world rankings said he had even considered ending his career.
He emphasized that he was not sharing his story to seek attention, but to be able to refocus. “I hope that I can now live a little more in peace with what I do, what I love, which is playing tennis,” Gómez wrote. He wants to work on regaining his emotional balance.
He received support from the world of tennis. Boris Becker addressed him directly on the X platform: “God bless Federico! If I can help in any way, contact me on Instagram!”