Tennis Canada is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment, integrating mental health and wellness as a crucial part of a tennis player’s performance journey.

Our initiatives aim to foster awareness, promote healthy habits, and ensure our tennis community has access to the mental health support they need.

We are guided by three pillars:

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Map Your Mental Health — A Personal Check-In

Take a moment to reflect on where you are in your mental health journey. This tool helps you identify your current mental health zone — whether you’re thriving, reacting to challenges, or in need of support — so you can take the right steps to maintain or improve your wellbeing.

Need immediate help?

In the event of an emergency or a crisis, please call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8.

Access the resource

Resources — Find the Support You Need

Wherever you are on your mental health journey, Tennis Canada offers tailored resources to support athletes, coaches, tennis professionals, families, and staff. Get the help, guidance, and tools you need — when you need them:

Explore mental health resources designed specifically for athletes. Click on the topics below to access detailed fact sheets and practical guidance:

Game Plan offers mental health resources for Sport Canada carded athletes and non-carded senior national team athletes and coaches. Athletes can access mental health, career, and transition resources.

Visit the Website

Nutrition and Mental Health Dare to Fuel Fact Sheet S

Proper nutrition plays a key role in mental health and athletic performance. Explore the Dare to Fuel Fact Sheets for evidence-based guidance on how fuelling your body supports your mind.

Discover practical tips to help athletes optimize their nutrition and maintain mental wellness throughout their performance journey.

Tips for Parents: A Key Resource for Your Child’s Success

Supporting your child’s mental health and wellbeing is crucial to their tennis journey. Tennis Canada’s Tips for Parents page offers practical advice and guidance to help you navigate challenges, foster a positive mindset, and create a supportive environment for your child — both on and off the court.

Explore strategies to encourage healthy habits, manage stress, and support your child’s growth and enjoyment of the game.

Sport Safety: Protecting Wellbeing On and Off the Court

Creating a safe environment is essential for every athlete’s mental and physical wellbeing. Tennis Canada’s Sport Safety page outlines our commitment to ensuring a secure, respectful, and inclusive space for all players, coaches, parents, and staff.

Explore policies, guidelines, and resources to help safeguard the tennis community and promote a culture of safety, fairness, and support.

Mental Health Training Resources

Enhance your understanding and ability to support mental health with these essential training programs:

Mental Health 101 – A foundational course from CAMH to help you recognize and understand mental health challenges.
Mental Health First Aid – Learn to provide initial support in a mental health crisis with this course from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport

The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) offers collaborative sport-informed mental health care services and resources designed to help athletes (16+ years old), coaches, and staff achieve their performance goals while preserving their well-being. For more details on how to access, visit their website.

For more details on how to access their resources.

Coaching Association of Canada

The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) provides mental health and sport resources for athletes, coaches, parents, and staff. The CAC resource hub includes a list of resources related to performance, well-being, athlete transition, ADHD, and more.

Visit the Website

Mental Timeout supported by Beneva present:

A Collection of Insights for Mental and Emotional Health

Our commitment & Strategy

As athletes increasingly share their struggles with mental health challenges, Tennis Canada recognizes the importance of investing in mental health and wellness and is committed to taking action.

Our strategy is based on the National Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada. Launched in 2021, this framework aims to improve mental health outcomes for all high-performance athletes, coaches, and support staff.

The purpose of this national strategy is to help organizations develop a plan to ensure all members involved in sport have the knowledge and skills to meet their mental health needs.

📄 Read the Full National Strategy

Through strategic partnerships and a comprehensive approach, we aim to lead the conversation on mental health in Canadian sport and ensure our community thrives both on and off the court.

We have partnered with the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, Own The Podium, the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport, and Game Plan to design and implement a long-term strategy to improve the mental health and wellness of athletes, coaches, parents, and staff. By leveraging the expertise of our partner organizations, we hope to become a leading voice in the mental health narrative in Canadian sport.

Tennis Canada’s mental health strategy features a three-year rollout plan beginning in 2024. Our approach focuses on five clear priorities

Leadership, stakeholder engagement, and communication
Promotion of mental health
Prevention of mental health challenges and mental illnesses
Assessment, diagnosis, treatment and recovery from mental health challenges and illnesses
Implementation, monitoring, and improvement

Get detailed insights into our approach and ongoing initiatives:

📄 View the MH Strategy 2024-25

Meet our Wellness Director

– Marie-Josée Bellemare

Marie-Josée is responsible for working closely with the Tennis Canada high performance athletes, parents, coaches, and staff to provide wellness and lifestyle assistance. She supports the implementation of Tennis Canada’s Mental Health Strategy by helping to connect those in the Tennis Canada ecosystem with the support they require.

Contact at mjbellemare@tenniscanada.com

POSITIVE COURT PLEDGE

Mental Timeout supported by Beneva is an initiative based on two commitments: a commitment that Tennis Canada makes towards the future of the sport, and a commitment that Tennis Canada seeks from everyone towards tennis in Canada, both on-site at events and on social media, encouraging a written show of support through The Positive Court Pledge.

Sign the pledge