Former world No. 1 doubles player Joe Salisbury is set to resume competing on the ATP tour after taking a break for mental health reasons last November. The 33-year-old Brit, who has six Grand Slam titles, will partner with Francisco Cabral starting in Monte-Carlo. Salisbury has shared details of his anxiety struggles that led to the hiatus.
Joe Salisbury, a 33-year-old British tennis player and former world No. 1 in doubles, stepped away from the sport last November due to recurring anxiety attacks and heart palpitations. Despite holding six Grand Slam titles and two ATP Finals crowns, he described not wanting “to be playing and competing” during affected periods. Physical symptoms included stomach sickness, difficulty sleeping, and challenges eating enough, which compounded emotional and mental strain. He noted, “It’s taken an extra toll emotionally and mentally to do that. It’s meant that it’s just not been enjoyable being at a lot of the tournaments that I have played.” Salisbury plans to return partnering with Francisco Cabral, beginning at the Monte-Carlo event, as announced in a tweet by José Morgado on March 16, 2026. The article highlights mental health challenges in tennis, referencing past cases like Naomi Osaka's 2021 break for depression, Emil Ruusuvuori's six-month hiatus from September 2024 to February 2025 due to work-recovery imbalance, Rafael Nadal's post-retirement admissions of breathing issues and near mental breaks, and Andrey Rublev's 2024 struggles post-Wimbledon, where he stopped anti-depression medication with help from Marat Safin. These examples underscore that such issues are not uncommon among elite players.
