BENGALURU : Frenchman Terence Atmane’s admission that he has been struggling with his mental health following an outburst at this month’s Shanghai Masters has highlighted the pressures facing lower-ranked tennis players as a gruelling season approaches its conclusion.
Atmane threw his racket towards the stands during a qualifying match in Shanghai, narrowly missing spectators, before publicly apologising for his behaviour and describing the stress caused by a sharp decline in his ranking.
The closing weeks of an 11-month campaign can be particularly challenging for players outside the elite, as fatigue and disappointing results collide with the need to earn ranking points and prize money that could improve their careers.
“I received a lot of hate, which is pretty normal because I deserve it. I’ve been behaving pretty badly,” Atmane said at the Almaty Open last week, where reaching the quarter-finals helped him climb to number 90 in the rankings.
“I was struggling … the season has been very long. I was struggling with my mental health, so it hasn’t been easy, but I was trying to get a fresh start.”
FINANCIAL PRESSURE
Former player and sports psychologist Jeff Greenwald said the demands of a lengthy season could leave players exhausted, mentally stale and more prone to negative thinking or emotional reactions.
Those lower down the rankings often face additional challenges because they lack the support structures available to established players.
“Unlike established players who may have a full team managing their schedules, travel, practice arrangements, and other logistics, lower-ranked players often have limited support,” Greenwald told Reuters.
“The financial pressure can be enormous. They have limited resources and may feel they have only a certain window of time to make their investment in professional tennis pay off.”
Every tournament offers an opportunity to earn points, improve rankings and qualify for more lucrative events, creating pressure to keep competing even when players need rest.
“This creates a difficult cycle. A player may be exhausted, struggling with confidence, or experiencing signs of burnout yet feel compelled to enter another tournament because taking a break seems financially or professionally risky,” Greenwald said.
Atmane is not alone in speaking publicly about the mental toll of professional tennis. Fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has discussed depression and burnout, saying he travelled to North America after Wimbledon despite not feeling mentally ready to compete.
India’s Sumit Nagal, ranked 269th, also endured a difficult spell, playing several tournaments this year while not fully fit before shifting his focus towards enjoying the game rather than being driven by results.
On the women’s tour, Germany’s Eva Lys ended her season early to concentrate on her physical and mental health.
ATP PLANS REFORMS
The ATP has proposed changes from 2028 that would reshape the men’s calendar and rankings in an effort to reduce incentives for players to compete excessively. The plans include a $25 million year-end fund to increase financial support for players finishing inside the top 250.
While the proposed reforms could ease some of the pressures, Greenwald said recovery remained an undervalued part of professional tennis and was essential to sustaining performance throughout the season.
The psychological burden can extend beyond physical exhaustion, with a prolonged run of defeats potentially undermining confidence when players tie their self-worth too closely to results.
“Tennis players can become very black-and-white in their thinking,” Greenwald said. “They’re either winning or losing, succeeding or failing.
“When losses accumulate, they can begin to question not only their game but themselves.”
Greenwald said players could protect their confidence by measuring progress through factors within their control rather than focusing exclusively on results.
“Rather than measuring success exclusively through wins, losses, rankings or prize money, we track their commitment to the game they’re trying to develop,” he said.
“This shifts their attention from outcomes they can’t fully control to behaviours they can influence. It also allows them to build a more stable sense of confidence grounded in mastery and commitment rather than the outcome of their last match.”
