"Cannot be easy doing this";"Gem of a human being" - Fans applaud Grigor Dimitrov for candidly opening up about his anxiety, mental health struggles

Tennis fans recently lauded Grigor Dimitrov for opening about his struggles with anxiety and mental health. Dimitrov talked about his mental health battles during a press conference at the 2024 Stockholm Open.

Dimitrov was seeded third at the ATP 250 hard court tournament in Sweden and he defeated Quentin Halys, Dominic Stricker, and Tallon Griekspoor to reach the final. However the Bulgarian fell short of claiming his second Stockholm Open title as he lost 4-6, 3-6 to Tommy Paul in the title clash.

During the a press conference at the tournament, Dimitrov candidly opened up about his battles with anxiety and panic attacks he has dealt with in his career.

“I had severe moments of anxiety, panic attacks and they would drop on the tennis match. Of course I think it always helps when you can talk to people and share and even if it's another tennis player,” he said.

Dimitrov pointed out that it was important to normalize conversations around mental health in order to inspire others to share their struggles and break the stigma surrounding the topic.

“We all should be more open to each other. I know it’s difficult . I know it's a very individual sport and almost brutal, but I mean we’re all human and at the end of the day we're no different than anyone else,” he added.

The former World No.3 also expressed his appreciation for athletes, particularly those in the NBA for speaking out about their mental health challenges.

“I think a lot of athletes all around the world are slowly starting to express themselves which is lovely to see especially I've seen quite a few guys in the NBA speak very openly about mental health,” he continued.

The Bulgarian stated that a person talking about their mental heath struggles and showing vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but rather is a sign of immense strength.

“I’m obviously talking from my side, like men in general, we don’t speak about it often but I think we should. It’s not a sort of weakness but I think it’s totally the opposite showing vulnerability. It’s a huge strength absolutely, huge strength,” he said.

Dimitrov talking about his mental heath struggles so openly resonated with many tennis fans who took to social media to praise him

One fan commended the 33-year-old for speaking out as they believed that it would not have been easy for a player of his stature to do so.

"Good for him speaking out! Cannot be easy doing this or dealing with those things at his level! I wish him all the best ❤️ ," a fan posted.

Another fan called the Bulgarian a "gem" of a human being for speaking on mental health issues.

"Absolutely adore Grigor. What an absolute stud of a player and gem of a human being," a fan wrote.

Several fans praised Dimitrov for being so "open," "vulnerable" and a "fantastic role model."

"Thank you so much for this. He's a remarkable human being that I've loved following for so many years . I am so proud of him for being open and vulnerable . A fantastic role model ❤️ ," a fan posted.

"Bravo @GrigorDimitrov 🙏🏼 To have someone of your stature in this sport speak about this carries a lot of weight.Important to say that the ATP has a Director of Player Wellbeing and Care on staff for exactly these things!" another fan wrote.

One fan applauded Dimitrov for speaking up and also encouraging others to do so.

"#MentalHealth is an important topic regardless of your gender or profession. Thanks for speaking up, @GrigorDimitrov and for encouraging others to do the same ! 💚 ," a fan posted.

"Well done, Grigor . Definitely players should talk more with each other," another fan wrote.

"Year by year, Grigor getting GOAT-ier ✔️✔️ #Dimitrov," yet another fan posted.

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Grigor Dimitrov will next compete at Vienna Open 2024

In Picture: Grigor Dimitrov pictured playing a shot [Source: Getty]

Following his runner-up finish at the 2024 Stockholm Open, Grigor Dimitrov will next compete at the 2024 Vienna Open. The ATP 5000 hard court tournament is scheduled to kick off on October 21, 2024, and will run until October 27, 2024. The event will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.

Dimitrov has been seeded third in the tournament and will kick off his campaign by facing Zhang Zhizhen in the first round. This will be the first time these two players meet on the ATP tour . The winner of this match will advance to face either Tomas Machac or Fabian Marozsan in the second round.

In addition to Dimitrov, the tournament will also feature players such as Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Alex de Minaur, Jack Draper, and Lorenzo Musetti, among others .

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