Svitolina wants better mental health protection for juniors

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Elina Svitolina is calling for better mental health protection for juniors starting out in their tennis careers. The former No.3-ranked Svitolina remembers how tough the weight of expectation was, the loneliness, the anxiety and long travel when she was starting out. Not to mention replaying crushing defeats in her mind when stuck in a hotel room a long way from home. The 27-year-old Ukrainian player says in an interview with The Associated Press that this was “mentally really tough to handle.” The two-time Grand Slam semifinalist welcomes the idea of psychologists being readily available for tennis juniors and says “I think it’s the right way.”