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When first planning this project, I knew that it would be essential to get American player Noah Rubin involved in the discussion about mental health in tennis. Noah created Behind The Racquet, an online platform for those involved in tennis to have a place where they can share their stories and struggles.
The concept is simple but effective - people involved in tennis who have a story to share post a photo holding up a racquet, and use the caption to tell their story.
Since its creation in January this year, there have been over 80 posts, written by current or former players, other celebrities and even fans who enjoy the sport, all utilising the BTR platform to get their voice heard and contribute to Noah's aim of breaking the stigmas surrounding mental health in tennis.
With such a unique idea, I wanted to find out why Noah felt tennis needed a platform like Behind The Racquet and why he wanted to take matters into his own hands creating a mental health support system for tennis players rather than leaving it to the governing bodies.
I spoke to Noah to find out what inspired him to create Behind The Racquet and to get an insight into how a player feels about the perception of mental illness on tour and the support available for those struggling with it. It was a pleasure to hear how players themselves are now speaking up and helping each other out, and after first seeing Noah play when he won Junior Wimbledon five years ago the opportunity to discuss this issue with him felt full circle.
Below is a link to a preview of our interview, more will be released in the full Game, Set, Mental Health documentary - including Noah's opinion on the support offered by the ATP, and how he has been communicating with the organisation to push for more change.
CLICK HERE: https://soundcloud.com/yasmin-stefanie-587583636/noah-rubin-behind-the-racquet-interview