Latest news with #athletehealth
The National
18-07-2025
- Health
- The National
As Ons Jabeur steps back from tennis, why more athletes are prioritising mental health
Ons Jabeur is the latest star athlete to step back from her sport to focus on her mental wellbeing. 'For the past two years I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But, deep down, I haven't felt happy on court for some time now,' Jabeur, 30, posted on social media on Thursday. 'Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal and to rediscover the joy of simply living.' Though the Tunisian tennis player may be the most recent to make such a move, she is far from alone. A growing number of elite performers, across several sports, have also chosen to prioritise their emotional and psychological health and it doesn't appear to be a trend that will go away anytime soon. In 2021, Naomi Osaka made headlines when she withdrew from the French Open, citing anxiety and depression. That same year, American gymnast Simone Biles stepped back from the all-around final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the 'twisties,' a dangerous mental block that afflicts gymnasts. Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty followed, taking a break from the sport due to burnout and mental exhaustion after years of intense training and pressure. 'While the public often associates sport with passion, play and vitality, elite athletes face a paradox: the very thing that once brought joy can become a source of stress, pressure and disconnection,' Christi Gadd, a clinical psychologist at Thrive Wellbeing Centre in Dubai, tells The National. Jabeur, who has ranked as high as No 2 in the WTA world rankings and reached three Grand Slam finals in as many years, has spoken openly about the emotional toll. The same traits that make athletes successful – perfectionism, intense drive – can increase mental health vulnerabilities Dr Salman Kareem, specialist psychiatrist at Aster Royal Clinic '[I will] definitely try to disconnect a little bit from tennis and try to just enjoy life outside tennis, recover and spend a little bit of time with the family and hopefully that could recharge me. Definitely 'rest' is the word for it,' Jabeur said at a press conference after retiring from her first-round match due to injury at this year's Wimbledon on June 30. Jabeur's decision to take a break has opened up a deeper conversation around the emotional cost of competing at the highest level and how that pressure can quietly build over time. 'Many believe athletes have success and that should equal happiness. In reality, the same traits that make athletes successful – perfectionism, intense drive – can increase mental health vulnerabilities,' adds Dr Salman Kareem, specialist psychiatrist at Aster Royal Clinic, Downtown and Aster Clinic, JLT. 'Athletes are humans and experience the same range of emotions as everyone else, but increased in global stage and massive pressures.' That pressure only intensifies with greater success and visibility, says Gadd. Jabeur has become a household name in the region and around the world during her pursuit to become the first Arab and first African woman to lift a Grand Slam trophy. 'Performance pressure is not just about winning. It's about sustaining peak output, meeting sponsorship obligations, handling media attention and managing public criticism,' Gadd says. 'In the era of social media, this pressure is amplified. Athletes are no longer evaluated only by coaches and selectors, but also by millions of online spectators, many of whom comment with little empathy or insight. These dehumanising dynamics can chip away at self-esteem and promote perfectionism, fear of failure and emotional suppression.' During the 2023 Wimbledon final, Jabeur entered as the favourite and believed she could win. But, as she later revealed, the match carried a deeper emotional weight – one that went far beyond the title. 'People think I have this pressure because I want to do it for other people, which is not true. There was a personal thing going on there,' Jabeur revealed in the 2024 documentary This Is Me, which followed her journey through the 2023 tennis season, including the Wimbledon final. 'I win that [final], I could have a baby right away. And that dream faded. I was haunted by fear. After all, I'm just a human being, what can I do more?' Jabeur, who has long spoken about her desire to start a family with her husband, Karim, admitted that the emotional stakes made the loss all the more devastating. 'It was the toughest loss of my career because emotionally it destroyed me, not only winning Wimbledon, but the idea of having a baby just vanished with the trophy of Wimbledon. So I think that's what killed me and Karim, we were crying like babies.' Jabeur's emotional reaction just after Wimbledon reflects what many athletes silently endure – the psychological toll of relentless pressure, both on and off the court. 'Chronic performance pressure activates the body's stress response system continuously, leading to mental fatigue, sleep disruption and emotional dysregulation,' explains Dr Kareem. 'Athletes may lose the joy in their sport and experience symptoms similar to chronic stress disorders. This pressure can create a cycle where declining performance increases anxiety, further impacting performance. Gadd notes that mental health struggles also often begin well before they're acknowledged, either by the athlete or their support team. The early signs can be subtle: a loss of motivation, emotional numbness, disrupted sleep or eating patterns, or persistent injuries. 'Athletes are trained to endure and 'push through', which can delay help-seeking,' she adds. 'Emotional distress may only be recognised when performance dips or physical symptoms become unmanageable. This highlights the need for early psychological support as an integral part of training, not just as crisis intervention.' While many children grow up dreaming of becoming elite athletes, stories like Jabeur's offer a glimpse into the mental strain that often stays behind the scenes. 'When someone at the top says: 'I stepped back to rediscover joy', it reminds us all that performance and pleasure can co-exist – and that stepping back isn't giving up, but a step towards something deeper,' says Gadd. Dr Kareem adds: 'When athletes like Ons Jabeur share their experiences, it normalises mental health struggles and encourages others to seek help. This openness reduces stigma and shows that prioritising mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness.'
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
NRLW stars reveal huge issue no one speaks about
An NRLW player has spoken about a topic that most people don't even consider when it comes to their job as professional athletes. Millie Elliott — formerly known as Millie Boyle — is currently expecting her first child with fellow NRL star husband Adam Elliott. The 27-year-old rugby league star, who typically plays for the Sydney Roosters, was speaking to The Jimmy and Nath Show with Emma ahead of Wednesday's State of Origin game two when she revealed a unique experience only female players have to deal with. Elliott, who has played at the Origin level in the past, was asked what it was like to play the sport at an elite level while experiencing her menstrual cycle off the back of fellow NRLW star Jasmin Strange speaking publicly about it. 'It bloody sucks,' Elliott said. 'Especially because there are some days that are worse than others and if you wake up on one of those and it's not timed properly … even training on your period, let alone when you have a game. 'Surely there is something we can do.' Emma Chow, a host on the show, pointed out it wasn't just the physical side of things when it came to a person's period. It was also pointed out the physical toll of taking birth control and even skipping a period. Elliott said one small change that has been made is that women play in darker colour shorts. Appearing on the podcast Burro's Backyard, fellow Roosters player Jasmin Strange asked why nobody talked about the fact that NRLW players would play every fourth game while menstruating. 'That is a lot — 25 per cent of the games we play, we are on our period,' she said. 'You know how you talk about me being in the fight in the grand final? Guess what I was on? 'My period.' She said a lot of women take the pill in order to be able to 'skip' their period, but this can only be done a certain amount of times.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
IOC issue death warning over 'utterly irresponsible and immoral' Enhanced Games with damning statement ahead of athletes summit in Switzerland
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sent out a damning warning over the Enhanced Games, emphasising the mortal consequences the use of performance-enhancing drugs can have on any athlete taking part. The Enhanced Games is a controversial competition which was created as an environment for athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to see what the human body can achieve. The first edition of the Enhanced Games competition is slated for May 2026, with Las Vegas playing host, though the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have since released a joint statement condemning the event. 'As athletes, we believe that the Enhanced Games or any events encouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances and methods are a betrayal of everything that we stand for,' the shared statement read. 'Most importantly, these events undermine the integrity of sport, and the responsibility athletes hold as role models in society. 'Promoting performance-enhancing substances and methods sends a dangerous message – especially to current and future generations of athletes. 'Such substances can lead to serious long-term health consequences – even death – and encouraging athletes to use them is utterly irresponsible and immoral. 'No level of sporting success is worth such a cost. 'We stand firmly together for the values of fair play, ethical behaviour and respect – principles that have shaped our journey and that we believe should guide and inspire the next generation of athletes. 'We will do everything we can to protect the integrity of sport for generations to come.' Unsurprisingly, the Enhanced Games has proven to be a hugely divisive topic in the world of sport, with numerous athletes both past and present voicing their support on both sides. The event will include three sports – athletics, swimming and weightlifting – at a purpose-built complex inside the Resorts World hotel in May 2026, with the backing of a venture capital fund headed up Donald Trump Jr, the US president's son. Athletes will be allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs and winners will receive $250,000, with a $1million bonus for anyone who breaks the world record in the 100 metres sprint or 50m freestyle. Organisers already claim to have broken a world record in the latter event, with Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev alleging to have broken Cesar Cielo's world record by 0.02seconds. The time will not be recognised by World Aquatics - swimming's governing body - but the Enhanced Games insists it is legitimate. The swimmer was taking PEDs and wearing a now-banned 'super suit' for the swim. 'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century,' said the event's founder Aron D'Souza, the London-based Australian entrepreneur. 'In the era of accelerating technological and scientific change, the world needs a sporting event that embraces the future – particularly advances in medical science. 'We are not just organising competition, we are in the business of unlocking human potential. We are the vanguard of super-humanity.'
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Olympic athletes say pro-doping Enhanced Games are a betrayal and could lead to deaths
Olympic athletes have condemned the Enhanced Games – a controversial new sporting event where competitors are encouraged to use performance-enhancing drugs – warning it could result in long-term health consequences or even deaths. In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) athletes' commissions called the Enhanced Games 'a betrayal of everything that we stand for'. 'Promoting performance-enhancing substances and methods sends a dangerous message – especially to current and future generations of athletes,' the statement read. 'Such substances can lead to serious long-term health consequences – even death – and encouraging athletes to use them is utterly irresponsible and immoral. No level of sporting success is worth such a cost.' The rebuke is the most forceful yet against the Enhanced Games, an Olympics-style event set to debut next May in Las Vegas where athletes will be allowed, and in some cases incentivized, to use banned substances under medical supervision. Organizers of the Enhanced Games have positioned the competition as a radical alternative to traditional sport, promising to embrace what they call 'superhumanity' by normalizing pharmaceutical and technological enhancement. The event will run 21–24 May 2026 at Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip and feature sprinting, swimming and weightlifting. While promoters frame the Games as a scientific revolution and a break from what they call the 'hypocrisy' of anti-doping regimes, the backlash has been swift and severe. 'This is a dangerous clown show, not real sport,' said Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, in an earlier statement. 'As we have seen through history, performance-enhancing drugs have taken a terrible physical and mental toll on many athletes. Some have died.' The Enhanced Games' founder, the Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, insists the event is both ethical and medically sound. Athletes will undergo individualized health profiling, disclose all substances used while competing under the supervision of independent scientific and ethics boards. Traditional anti-doping tests will not be conducted. Peter Thiel, center, the tech billionaire known for his libertarian politics and backing of controversial biotech ventures, has been listed as a major investor and 'close advisor' to the Enhanced Games. Photograph:'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century,' D'Souza said. 'In the era of accelerating technological and scientific change, the world needs a sporting event that embraces the future – particularly advances in medical science.' Critics say the model amounts to 'don't ask, don't tell' for doping. Others see a deeper agenda: a challenge not only to sport's institutions but to its foundational values. Many have also raised concerns about the political and financial backers of the event. The latest round of funding includes investment from 1789 Capital – a firm co-founded by Donald Trump Jr and Omeed Malik – while tech billionaire Peter Thiel has been listed as a major investor and 'close advisor', according to D'Souza. A video announcing the backing appeared to suggest the US president's personal endorsement. D'Souza has openly welcomed their involvement, describing Trump-aligned figures as 'some of the most significant' cultural supporters of the project. The event's tagline, Live Enhanced, has become both a rallying cry and a provocation. Organizers say they are recruiting athletes who feel alienated by conventional doping restrictions, including former swimming world champion James Magnussen. In February, Greek-Bulgarian swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev recorded a time 0.02sec faster than the longstanding 50m freestyle world record, reportedly while following an enhancement protocol. But the swim was not officially recognized – in part because he wore a polyurethane suit not approved by Fina, swimming's global governing body. Prize money for the 2026 Games is substantial: up to $500,000 per event, with a $1m bonus for record-breaking performances. Despite mounting criticism, the Enhanced Games show no signs of slowing down. Organizers say discussions are ongoing with sponsors and streaming platforms, though no broadcast partner or marquee athlete has been publicly confirmed. If regulatory pressure builds, the Games' future could hinge on whether the public sees the venture as scientific progress or a dangerous line crossed. For now, Olympic athletes say the stakes couldn't be higher. 'We stand firmly together for the values of fair play, ethical behaviour and respect,' the IOC and Wada athletes said in Tuesday's statement. 'We will do everything we can to protect the integrity of sport for generations to come.'
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
PFA chief Molango voices concern over impact of post-season tours on players
Maheta Molango, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, has voiced concern over post-season tours given the added workload they put on players immediately after a packed campaign. Manchester United's controversy-ridden trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong is the latest example in a trend some fear is damaging athletes' health. 'We're all mindful and understand some of the financial dynamics the club goes through, but the reality is that quite a few players have expressed concern,' Molango said. 'We have expressed concern about these post-season tours.' United's tour descended into farce when they were booed by the crowd after defeat by an Asean All Stars side in Kuala Lumpur. The forward Amad Diallo drew intense criticism for raising his middle finger to fans outside the team hotel following that embarrassment, explaining later that he was responding to insults aimed at his mother. United expect to generate around £10m from the excursion. Molango also questioned pre-season tours that pit traditional rivals against one another when players are still building fitness. Arsenal and Tottenham will meet in Hong Kong next month, the first north London derby to take place outside the UK. 'You cannot just turn up at the derby with flip flops,' he said. 'Sometimes there's this misunderstanding that, yes, [pre-season] is about resting but then having a proper ability to build up to that level of intensity and that level of game.' No solution to the discussion about football's bloated schedule is in sight, although progress is being made with a formal complaint tabled by European Leagues, La Liga and the global players' union, Fifpro, last October against Fifa's imposition of the match calendar. While Fifa is understood to have begun engaging with the complainants, who have accused world football's governing body of 'abusive and anti-competitive' acts in imposing events like this summer's expanded Club World Cup, there is scant prospect of a quick agreement. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion There are clear concerns that domestic competitions rather than money-spinning international events will feel the pain if cuts are made to the calendar, and Molango repeated previous assertions that any solution must be applied broadly. 'I'm not just talking about Manchester United, I'm talking in general about the situation,' he said. 'This once again confirms the need of taking a holistic approach to the problem because you aren't going to solve it if you just attack one specific competition. You need to be able to take a holistic view.'
