Rafael Nadal's Roland Garros conqueror Robin Soderling opens up on mental health battles

The tragic news of the Sushant Singh Rajput death has led to a renewed conversation around mental health. Ever since the Sushant Singh Rajput death came to light, several personalities have spoken up about their mental health battles. In the field of sports as well, the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide has led to several sportsmen talking about their struggles with depression and other mental illnesses. Recently, Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa spoke about his mental health after the news of Sushant Singh Rajput suicide came to light. Now, Robin Soderling, the former Swedish player has spoken about his battles with mental health issues.

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Robin Soderling is best remembered for becoming the first person to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open. Rafael Nadal is known for his prowess on clay courts. Due to his proficiency, Rafael Nadal is also called the ‘King of Clay’. Robin Soderling created one of the biggest shocks in tennis history when he managed to beat Rafael Nadal at the 2009 Roland Garros. Robert Soderling managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in tennis history when he managed to beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the French Open. Nadal had gone into the game with an impressive 31-0 win record at the Roland Garros. However, Robin Soderling managed to beat Rafael Nadal in 4 sets, becoming the first person to do so on clay.

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Robin Soderling shares his mental health experiences

Speaking to Radio Sweden, Robin Soderling shared what went on in his mind during his tennis career. The former World No. 4 revealed that he suffered from constant anxiety, which gnawed at him from the inside. He shared how the smallest of noises would make him panic, and that he used to sit in his apartment staring blankly. Robin Soderling also revealed how he used to panic when the phone would ring. The former player shared an incident where he fell to the floor as he panicked when a letter fell on his doormat.

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Robin Soderling was diagnosed with mononucleosis in 2011 and shared what it was like dealing with the illness. Soderling revealed how low he felt despite winning the Bastad final. He talked about how he panicked and continuously cried and threw himself on the bed after returning to the hotel. Soderling revealed how even thinking about a tennis court used to fill him with panic. Revealing his predicament, Soderling stated he couldn’t go on playing, even if they put a gun to his temple.

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Robin Soderling also made the startling claim that he googled how to commit suicide due to his struggles with illness. Soderling revealed that while he never intended to commit suicide, he felt at one point that ‘‘anything was better than this life in hell.' While concluding, Robin Soderling said that it is very difficult for athletes to talk about mental health problems, and this is the reason he came forward to talk about it. He also appealed to people to play sports because they feel comfortable doing it and not because of any pressure.

Image Courtesy: instagram/rsoderling