The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced a new multi-year partnership with a global workplace mental health platform, Modern Health. Following this deal, the company has been labelled as WTA’s official mental health partner.
The female-founded company has described that it will amplify a shared vision with the association to de-stigmatize mental health care and provide a larger support network.
The WTA has been expanding its mental health and wellness resources for elite athletes for the past 20 years, and Modern Health serves as an extensive resource available across the organisation.
In addition, the partners will collaborate to create a five-part digital content series featuring WTA players to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Throughout 2022, Modern Health will engage with both fans and athletes, appearing in mental health campaigns that reach both the tennis community and a global audience.
WTA President, Micky Lawler, said, “Working with Modern Health represents an important opportunity for the WTA to further build on the work we started decades ago in this very important space. High performance in all walks of life often comes with elements of stress and various other factors that affect our overall health. It is wonderful to work side by side with Modern Health so that we can help eliminate any stigma around mental health and we want to make sure that as many people as possible take control of what is fundamental to life itself.”
CEO & Founder of Modern Health, Alyson Watson, commented, “More and more athletes are using their platform to bravely share their mental health struggles and to be open and transparent with those who follow and look up to them. This is triggering an important shift in the narrative of mental health in sports and their vulnerability is paving the way for other individuals to follow in their footsteps and speak openly about mental health.
“As a female athlete who struggled with anxiety myself, I couldn’t be more honoured to partner with the WTA to support athletes as they push their bodies and minds to compete at the highest level. I look forward to collaborating with the WTA to encourage people across the globe to continue this important cultural conversation about mental well-being.”