Mental illness a growing concern on tennis tours

(ESPN) For Petra Kvitova, everything changed thanks to a single, simple text message. It was February, and the Czech tennis standout had just landed in Doha, Qatar, for the next stop on the hectic tennis circuit. Seven months after winning her second Wimbledon title and four months after clinching another Fed Cup, she ought to have been on a high. But something was wrong. She felt empty, listless and, most worrying of all, unable to explain why.

Kvitova was preparing for her second-round match against Serbia's Jelena Jankovic when she checked her text messages. Among them was one from her longtime coach, David Kotyza.

"I think it's a good idea to take a break," he said. "Otherwise, I don't know how long you are going to keep on feeling this way."

Taken aback by the message, the 25-year-old knew something had to be done. She thought it over "for four days and for four nights" until she realized Kotyza was right. The pair had discussed her feelings in January during a tournament in Sydney in a conversation that had Kvitova on the verge of tears. Mentally and physically, she was exhausted.

.....(snip)......

American Mardy Fish suffered cardiac arrhythmia in 2012, a setback that eventually led to a severe anxiety disorder that left him unable to leave his house at times. His return to the tour at Indian Wells in March 2013 was greeted with delight by his peers. Fish, who has played only sparingly since, remains on medication and undergoes therapy. He will hang up his rackets for good after his run at the Western & Southern Open, where he won his first-round match Monday, and then the US Open, his final tournament. ......................(more)

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/13394731/tennis-mardy-fish-far-only-player-dealing-mental-illness