Paula Badosa praises Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles for raising awareness on mental health

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Paula Badosa is praising Naomi Osaka and star gymnast Simone Biles for raising awareness about the importance of good mental health for athletes. Badosa, 25, struggled with depression in the past. Two years ago, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka opened up about her battle with depression and anxiety.

During the Tokyo Olympics, Biles also spoke publicly about her battle with anxiety. "It was and it is, although it is improving a lot thanks to the revelations of athletes like Simone Biles or Naomi Osaka, among others. People see it as a sign of weakness and it's the complete opposite.

The mind is not prepared the same at 18 years as at 35 to manage certain things," Badosa told Marca.

Badosa told her story in Break Point

Badosa was one of the featured players in the first season of Netflix's tennis documentary Break Point.

In one episode, Badosa revealed what led to her falling into depression. “I’ve been struggling for years with a lot of depression. People were talking about me like I was the next big thing, the next Maria Sharapova.

I felt like, ‘Wow, now I have to be a legend. Maybe next year, I have to be a Top 10 player.’ So, for me, it was a lot of pressure. It was very tough for me because I didn’t know what to do in that moment. Life didn’t have a lot of sense because ever since I was seven years old, my dream was to be a professional tennis player.

It was very bad. I didn’t want to go on a tennis court. I started to try to find solutions to work on it, with mental health professionals. I’ve been very open in the press and everywhere about my mental health struggles because even the best athlete in the world can feel this.

I’m in a position right now that if I can talk, I can help other people. A lot of people don’t talk about it because they feel they’re going to be weaker, but I think it’s totally the opposite. I’m fighting a lot mentally to try and find myself again," Badosa said in Break Point.