To mark World Mental Health Day, World Tennis has confirmed that the second Mental Health in Tennis Summit will take place at the USTA National Campus, Orlando on 3 December 2026. 

The Summit will bring together representatives from World Tennis, the ATP, the WTA, Grand Slams and other national and regional tennis federations. 

Its purpose is to assess progress since the first Summit in 2022, identify gaps and establish a focused set of shared priorities for 2027 and beyond.

From consensus to priorities 

The first Summit, held during the 2022 US Open, began a consensus process led by the World Tennis Sport Science and Medicine Commission and involving 83 participants from across the game.

The resulting position, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in June 2026, set out two principles:

1. That the mental health of players and all involved in tennis is a priority for the sport’s governing bodies.  

2. That those bodies must work collaboratively to advance and improve mental health and wellbeing across the whole tennis ecosystem. 

It also made 25 recommendations across five areas - standards of care, education, media and social media, safeguarding, and research. Those recommendations are the Summit's starting point, with the ambition to agree priorities for collective action in the years to come.

Why it matters 

Tennis brings physical, social and mental health benefits to the millions of people who play it. At the elite level, the game also brings distinct pressures with a near year-round global calendar, constant travel, individual competition and rising online abuse. 

Research shows that more than a third of elite athletes across all sports experience clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. The Summit's approach reflects the 2026 International Olympic Committee consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes, which stresses the responsibility sporting organisations hold for the environments they create. 

Brian Hainline, World Tennis Board member and Chair of the Sport Science and Medicine Commission, said: “Mental health in tennis isn’t just an athlete issue or a medical issue – it’s an ecosystem responsibility. Governing bodies, tournaments, coaches, parents, medical teams - they all help shape the environments where players develop and compete. 

“We’re past the point of raising awareness. What’s significant here is that all seven governing bodies will come together in December to discuss the progress and next steps based upon a shared, evidence-based approach, with the challenge of turning recommendations into meaningful action.”  

Reaching every level of the game

A central focus of the next phase will be how this work reaches World Tennis' 214 National Associations and junior development pathways. World Tennis will work with member nations to adapt the framework to reflect substantial differences in culture, language, resources and access to qualified mental healthcare across countries and regions.

Dave Haggerty, President of World Tennis, said: “No one organisation can solve this alone. Players move between tournaments, tours and national teams week to week, so it is important they receive consistent support. December is about agreeing where our sport focuses next. For World Tennis, that means making sure this work reaches all 214 of our National Associations, from the junior on their first trip abroad to the player at the top of the game." 

Outcomes from the Summit will be shared in early 2027.