Nowadays, we see a lot of players taking a mental break from their respective sports, not just tennis. In tennis, we saw 4-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka taking a lengthy break from tennis due to mental health reasons. Meanwhile, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens has always been vocal about mental health.

In a recent interview, the 29-year-old American tennis player opened up about going to therapy and people’s perception of therapy or seeing a therapist.

Sloane Stephens talks about going to a therapist at an early age

In an interview with the WTA, Stephens talked about her dad’s passing, as she had to go and see another therapist despite her mom being a psychologist. “My mom was a psychologist. So we practice a lot of things at home from a young age. But I started therapy because I needed to see a grief counselor because my dad had passed away and my mom felt like she could not help me and that I needed someone else to speak to. And then, shortly after that, my stepdad passed away, and she really felt she could not help me,” Stephens said. 

“I think as a parent feeling like that helplessness, she was like ‘you have to go to someone and talk through it’. So my brother and I started therapy,” she further added. 

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Later, she also talked about learning about therapy and self-care from a very young age because of her mom. Also, she talked about people’s misconceptions about therapy. “Having my mom as a psychologist obviously, she’s always made the importance of therapy… self-care. My mom always taught us that. It was something that was very normal and natural, like talking about your feelings, like expressing yourself…,” Stephens added. 

“I think a lot of people, just their perception of therapy, is like something has to be wrong with you in order for you to go to therapy. Like you have to have some mental problem in order to go to therapy. That’s just not the case. It’s such a stigma. I love my therapist, she is the best. But for other people, you are a crazy person,” Stephens further said. 

Stephens is gearing up for the US Open 2022

So far, Stephens had a pretty mixed season in 2022. After losing in the first round at the Wimbledon Championships, Stephens has not played on the tour. Earlier, she had a pretty impressive run in the French Open, as she reached the quarter-finals. Before that, she won her first title of the season at Guadalajara.

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Now, she is focusing on the US Open, which will start on the 29th of August. Before that, she is scheduled to play at three tournaments, which are the Citi Open, Rogers Cup, and the Cincinnati Open.