Daniel Cormier opened up on the recent mental health issue that has been prominent among superstar athletes across the globe. From UFC superstar Conor McGregor to gymnast Simone Biles and WTA phenom Naomi Osaka, all have been subject to mental battles.

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Cormier believes the time to inspect what athletes have to endure has come. Apart from the grueling physical demand to prepare for the biggest tournaments on the planet, athletes often have to go through mental battles as well. The demands from their fans and criticism upon failure come alongside the fame and perks of being a top-level star.

Aug 30, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan enters to play Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic on day one of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

With all the success of superstardom as we have seen with Conor McGregor, there are times when you start to deal with the mental side of things,said Cormier.

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The mental toll that athletes are having, as individual athletes, as team athletes, it’s so immense and insane. I mean, you look at what Simone Biles went through at the Olympics just very recently. You saw what Naomi Osaka had to go through as she was preparing for her tournament. She had the French open I believe where she had to pull out because she could not deal with the pressure over the top of her,” he added further.

Naomi Osaka hinted she might retire recently

Osaka suffered a third-round exit against Leylah Fernandez at the US Open. The Japanese superstar was devastated following her defeat. She broke down in tears following the post-match press conference of the event.

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She indicated she wants to take a break from playing and even said that it’s not sure if fans will see her back in action ever again. This only further illustrates the mental baggage that comes along with being an elite-level athlete. Fans can only hope that they get to see the player in action again, as she is one of the finest players in the world of tennis.

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Also Read: Paddy Pimblett Mocks Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Recent Interactions With Mike Tyson

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Apratim Banerjee

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Apratim Banerjee is a senior UFC author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters. Dan Henderson’s brutal knockout against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in 2009 is one of his earliest memories of the sport. He has never missed a UFC PPV or a Fight Night since, which speaks volumes about his wealth of MMA knowledge. Israel Adesanya, Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, Conor McGregor are some of his favorite fighters. Apart from this, Apratim plays soccer in his free time and loves scoring long-distance goals.

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