As part of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (OBN), Eugenie Bouchard will lead a discussion focused on the recognition of mental health as an essential element of an athlete’s performance development and the progress being made in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health in tennis. With help from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Tennis Canada and a panel of experts including WTA stars, the panel will highlight the progress being made and actions being taken to ensure female tennis players feel safe, listened to and supported.

“When we unveiled our mental health strategy earlier this year, we reiterated our commitment to becoming a leading player in mental health in Canadian sport,” commented Gavin Ziv, CEO of Tennis Canada. As athletes become more vocal about their mental health issues, we want to honor that desire to break the taboo by working with the WTA to discuss both organizations’ forward-thinking approaches. »

The discussion will take place on Tuesday, August 6th at 11am at Sobeys Stadium in the Premium Lounge of the VIP Lounge presented by Audi. All Premium package holders can therefore attend. Here is the list of participating panelists:

• Sharon Fichman, moderator – old 21^e World doubles player on the WTA Tour and Olympic participant at the 2020 Tokyo Games
• D^D Randy Jackson – WTA Mental Health Provider, Ph.D. in Sport and Performance Psychology
• Marie-Josée Bellemare – Director of Wellness at Tennis Canada, at the forefront of implementing the mental health strategy
• Mischi Papich – PhD candidate in exercise science at the University of Ottawa. She worked with Tennis Canada on the design, implementation and evaluation of the mental health strategy.
• A WTA star – confirm
• Eugenie Bouchard – Billie Jean King Cup winner 2023, Wimbledon finalist 2014 and former world fifth
• Joel Dembe – Paralympians at the 2012 Games in London

“I am honoured to be asked to take part in this important discussion about mental health,” said Bouchard. A few years ago, we would not have been able to talk so openly about our off-court issues. Thanks to the work of Tennis Canada and the WTA, we are now in an environment where we can not only talk about it more freely, but also know where to find help. I hope that by sharing my experiences, it will be even easier for the next generation. »

In February, Tennis Canada, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, the Own the Podium program, the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCSMS) and Game Plan, became the first national sports organization (ONS) to introduce a Mental health strategy based on Mental health strategy for high performance sport in Canada. This strategy is based on three pillars: promotion, support and care.

The Mental Break initiative, supported by Beneva, is back at OBN in Montreal and Toronto

The promotion pillar includes Tennis Canada’s Mental Break Initiative, supported by Beneva, which was launched during the 2022 edition of the National Bank Open in Montreal and Toronto and will take place again this year. Bianca Andreescu, 2019 US Open champion, Alexis Galarneau, 2022 Davis Cup champion, and Rob Shaw, Canada’s best wheelchair tennis player, also return as ambassadors for the initiative.

“With the launch of the Mental Break initiative in 2022, Tennis Canada is committed to taking concrete actions to improve the well-being of tennis athletes at the National Bank Open while promoting a safe and inclusive environment,” added Valérie Tétreault, Director of the National Bank of the Montreal Open. While we recognize there is still work to be done, we have succeeded in sparking discussions about the importance of mental health in sport, thus contributing to efforts to end the current stigma. We will continue to work toward this goal and look for new ways to support athletes so that we can continue to do our part and be a leader in this area. »

An important element of Mental Break is Promise of a positive tennis experiencea written commitment from everyone associated with Canadian tennis aimed at creating a positive, safe and prosperous environment. Mental Break also includes the ever-popular support postcards, handwritten messages from fans that are personally delivered to athletes during the tournament.

This year, Tennis Canada strengthened its commitment to the mental health of athletes by creating a Wellness Passport called Mental health is important. This pass lists all services and resources available to athletes on and off the competition site and can be inserted into the athlete accreditation for quick reference.

“I am proud to be an ambassador for the Mental Break initiative and to see how it continues to evolve by providing new ways for athletes to feel supported in Canada,” said Andreescu. Passport Mental health is important will be a great resource for athletes, bringing together everything we have to offer them and showing them that the National Bank Open places great importance on their well-being. »

Fans can expect even bigger and better activations on the site. Toronto and from Montreal. In fact, the Mental Break zones will now include a painting wall and a diary writing station. During the qualifying weekend, they will also have the opportunity to reach out to players during yoga and animal therapy sessions.

THE The best ATP players will return to Montreal this summer for the 2024 edition of the National Bank Open from August 3 to 12 at the Stade IGA. Tickets are already on sale. Buy today!

THE The best WTA players will return to Toronto this summer for the 2024 edition of the National Bank Open from August 4 to 12 at Sobeys Stadium. Tickets are already on sale. Buy today!