Tennis star claims 'everybody is lying' in candid discussion about mental health

Former top 10 star Lucas Pouille has claimed that "everyone is lying" on the tennis tour.

The five-time title winner was commended for bravely opening up on his past battles with drinking and depression last year.

Pouille returned to the sport after taking a break for his well-being and, more than 12 months after speaking out, he claimed mental health struggles were a major issue in tennis.

The Frenchman was just 24 when he enjoyed his peak, reaching the Australian Open semi-final and breaking the world's top 10. But he was forced to cut the end of his season short with an elbow injury and later underwent surgery, spending a year on the sidelines.

Pouille struggled for form when he returned and temporarily quit the sport in 2022. When , he gave a candid interview to L'Equipe and addressed his low point.

"I was drinking alone and sleeping one hour a night. For my mental health, I stopped playing tennis. The trigger was when I saw a picture of my daughter on my phone - she couldn't see me like this," he said at the time.

Pouille was praised for speaking out and for starting a conversation. And he believes he's not the only professional tennis player who struggles, claiming that "everyone is lying" when they speak about how they're doing.

"In life in general it's a taboo, it's a big taboo," the 30-year-old told .

"The tennis players are improving on that, but, you know, every day you're seeing everybody, you say 'hey, how are you', and the first answer is like, I'm good, but actually everybody is lying."

While Pouille knows it's "normal" not to open up all the time, he hopes sportspeople will continue to break the stigma.

He continued: "You cannot be good every day, every single day of your life, so it's normal not to tell the truth to anyone, because you're not going to talk about your problem to anybody. The good thing is that more and more athletes are talking about it, and it's important."

Since speaking up about his own battle and returning to the tour in 2023, Pouille has enjoyed something of a resurgence. This year, he's won two Challenger titles, reached the third round of Wimbledon and re-entered the top 100.

Explaining why he wanted to open up on his struggles, Pouille added: "Well, for me was so important, because you know, being an athlete, being a tennis player, you always have to give a good image of yourself.

"You always want to be proud on the court, not to show too much emotions, showing that you are strong... but people have to understand that it's okay to sometimes feel bad, to feel weak, to feel sad sometimes.

"We are human beings, and it's important to talk about it, and to feel free, and not to feel guilty, or ashamed to talk, that's important."