Modern Health is a natural fit as the official mental health partner of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) because we are so aligned in our shared mission to promote healthier practices and conversations around mental health at a time when athletes are increasingly speaking up about their need to prioritize their mental health and emotional well-being. 

At the outset of the partnership, we knew one of the most rewarding parts would be the opportunity to share the mental health journeys of some of the world's best athletes. Every person has mental health and it ebbs and flows throughout their lives, and mental health can impact athletes both on and off the court. While high-performance athletes often live their mental health highs and lows in a very public way, athletes don't always get the chance to talk about what's going on inside. We're grateful several of our athlete partners were eager for the chance to share more with Modern Health members and friends. 

We’re thrilled to share the first installment of an unscripted, 5-part video series called “The Real Me", featuring tennis pro Sloane Stephens—a Grand Slam champion who has many mental health insights to share. In the full video live on YouTube, Sloane challenges misconceptions about who should seek therapy, discusses how to navigate expectations in a demanding career, and shares her self-care tips. 

"I love taking care of myself...I love meditating, I love stretching with my trainer, I love quiet time,” says Sloane.

“Those are all things I've implemented into my work life.” She goes on to share how deep breathing meditations are her trick to managing feelings of stress and overwhelm, and she shares the skill with her coach and her team to help them manage their emotions, too. Be sure to watch Sloane on YouTube for more insights into the internal experience of a professional athlete. 

We want to thank the WTA for collaborating with us to destigmatize mental health, and to our athlete partners for their vulnerability and trust. We're all working together in hope of encouraging people everywhere to take the next step in prioritizing their own mental health. Stay tuned for the next video in this 5-part series, to be released in early August. 

For more information about the one-on-one, self-serve, and community mental health resources Modern Health offers, click to learn more.