Thiago Agustin Tirante has opened up about his mental health struggles after reaching the semifinals of the Stockholm Open, revealing that he has not been happy for several years. Following his quarterfinal victory over Alexander Shevchenko, the Argentine spoke to Bolavip about the difficulties of life on the professional tennis circuit and the personal challenges he has faced away from the court.
While reaching the semifinals was undoubtedly an important achievement, Tirante made it clear that his recent results are not what matters most to him right now. Instead, the Argentine is finding happiness in tennis again after a difficult period in his life, during which he struggled to feel comfortable with the demands and lifestyle of professional tennis.
His comments also highlighted a wider issue on the ATP Tour, where players can find it difficult to open up about their mental health. Tirante believes that the lack of communication between competitors, combined with what he describes as the big egos of some players, makes it harder to find the support they need.
Tirante: ‘I haven’t been happy for a long time’
Tirante explained that his victory against Alexander Shevchenko was far from the most important thing for him at the moment. After spending several years struggling mentally, he is now enjoying tennis again and learning to appreciate the positive moments in his career, regardless of the results he achieves on the court.
Tirante preparing for returning a serve / Getty Images
“The most important thing for me at the moment is not the win or the good results, but that I am enjoying playing tennis and feeling happy again. I haven’t really been happy for the last couple of years, but I am happy now.”
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The Argentine also emphasized that improving his mental health has been more important than developing his tennis or achieving better results. Although he has always believed in his abilities as a player, his mental struggles previously prevented him from enjoying the sport and making the most of his potential.
“I am starting to understand what tennis means and the most important thing for me has definitely been to improve my mental health. I have always had the game, but I wasn’t feeling mentally well.”
Traveling alone is tough
One of the biggest challenges Tirante has faced throughout his professional career has been traveling alone on the ATP Tour. While the lifestyle of professional tennis might look glamorous from the outside, the reality can be very different, particularly for lower-ranked players who cannot afford to travel with a full support team consisting of coaches, physiotherapists and other staff members.
“It’s very tough to travel alone on the Tour. There are so many things that people don’t see, especially outside of the court. I think people always think we are on vacation, but we are going to so many tournaments, taking care of flights, hotels and all this.”
Tirante also explained how difficult it has been to adjust to a lifestyle that is completely different from the one he experienced growing up in Argentina. Moving away from his family and familiar surroundings has meant adapting to a new reality, where travelling, organising tournaments and managing everyday responsibilities have become part of his professional life.
“It is a part of our life, but I just didn’t realize that in the past. Now, I know that this is my life. I have been through so many changes in my life, because I am just a very humble guy from Argentina, where I grew up with my family.
“The difference between the life I grew up with and the life I have now just living in a bubble compared to the life and the house I grew up with in Argentina is big. It is a very different life now. It took me a lot of difficult years to realize.”
Tirante before hitting a backhand / Getty Images
‘The other players’ egos are very big’
Beyond his personal struggles, Tirante also addressed the lack of communication between players when it comes to mental health. Asked whether he believes competitors are doing enough to support each other and speak openly about their difficulties, the Argentine was critical of the current atmosphere on the ATP Tour, suggesting that players’ egos are part of the problem.
“No, no, no, we are not good enough at speaking to each other about it between the players, but I think so many players have a very big ego, which is a big problem that the Tour has. The top players are very closed people and they have their own team.”
Tirante believes that opening up to fellow competitors is not always easy, particularly when it comes to players from different backgrounds. He explained that he finds it easier to connect with other Argentinians, whom he considers more open and approachable, while he has found it more difficult to establish the same kind of connection with European players.
“It is quite difficult to speak to other players about it. Maybe, I can speak to players from Argentina but not to other players, because they are not that open. I am a very warm person, I think Argentinians are just like that, but not the European players. The Europeans are not like that. So, it’s very difficult to open up to other players, because they don’t really give you the answer you need.”
Tirante has more reasons to smile in Stockholm
Despite the difficult years he has experienced, Tirante now appears to be in a much better place mentally and is enjoying his tennis again. His comments offer a reminder that professional players face challenges that are rarely visible during matches, particularly those competing without the financial and personal support available to some of the biggest names on the Tour.
Lorenzo Musetti addresses Tirante’s comments
Following Tirante’s comments on his mental health struggles and the lack of communication with European colleagues, Bolavip approached Lorenzo Musetti — who recently weighed in on Alexander Zverev’s world ranking — to learn his perspective.
“Well, I hope I am not in that list of the European players he talks about. Hopefully not,” Musetti said. “I have known him since we were young, he is just one year older than me.
“I speak Spanish and he is Argentinian, so maybe we open up a little bit more, but I actually didn’t know personally that he has been facing these problems.
“I would be more than happy to listen and talk to him, if he wants any feedback on what he has been dealing with.”
Tirante will face Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the Stockholm Open semifinals on Friday, with a place in the final at stake. A victory would give the Argentine another reason to smile, as he would reach his first ATP Tour-level final of his career.
