"You're supposed to show strength, but we're not machines" - Roger Federer opens up about adverse effects of intense pro tennis tour on players' mental health

Roger Federer has shed light on the rigors and challenges posed by the intense ATP and WTA tours, highlighting how players are affected mentally more than anything. He said that he completely understands why players choose to retire at a young age, despite the talent they possess.

The Swiss tennis great believes the demanding schedule on the pro tennis tour and all the aspects that accompany a professional tennis player's career have caused adverse effects on the mental health of players, which has increasingly come to the fore in recent years.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who is currently in Tokyo for a sponsor event, feels that the problem is magnified as players often feel the need to hide any form of tiredness or mental fatigue with the fear of exposing their weaknesses. He lamented the fact that mental fatigue has caused many early retirements.

"You're supposed to show strength. But we're not machines, we're human beings. When players retire at a super young age, I totally understand it. We see it from time to time. I always feel it's such a pity, because there could still be so much going on in the future," Roger Federer said at a recent press conference.

"The tour is tough...the travel, the practice, the jet lag. Nobody is allowed to say, 'I'm tired today,' because it looks like you're weak, and that's why players sometimes end up with mental problems," he added.

Federer recently called time on a 24-year-long professional career, one of the most illustrious careers in tennis history. The Swiss maestro highlighted that he did not realize how much stress regarding his next tournament or practice session occupied and impacted his mind until retirement allowed him to relieve that stress and reflect on his career in its entirety.

"You're constantly thinking about your next practice, your next match, your next travel, your next packing. I don't think I was that much aware of it, how much that thought is always there, and it rides with you, until you retire and then you realise that stress all drops away," the 41-year-old expressed.

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Roger Federer highlights impact of strict doping regimes in tennis

Roger Federer at the 2022 Laver Cup in London.

Roger Federer also spoke about the additional pressure on professional tennis players as a result of strict doping protocols, which require them to spend a good amount of their time following the guidelines in place. The Swiss great revealed how players have to constantly keep the authorities informed about their activities.

He then reiterated how he has felt a big change in his daily life post-retirement.

"We have to fill out doping forms every single day, one hour during the day, where you are. You're always aware in the back of your head that they could be coming any moment, especially in that hour. Once that all drops away, you actually feel quite lighter and relieved that you can live normally again after 25 years," the former player stated.

Many pro tennis players have opened up about their struggles with mental health in recent years, with the likes of Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, and Nick Kyrgios being glaring examples of the same. In her recently-published autobiography, Barty, who retired from tennis earlier this year, revealed how her battle with depression coincided with her rise to the top of the tennis tour.