Haddad Maia takes a break from tennis due to mental health issues

Beatriz Haddad Maia has made the difficult decision to not play for the rest of 2026 due to mental health issues, after failing to achieve a single victory throughout the year and feeling far from the level that once made her number 10 in the world and a Grand Slam semifinalist. 

In a video posted on social media, the Brazilian tennis player stated, "right now, I have decided to protect my ranking. So, according to the rule, it’s six months from the last match I played, which means I will not play in the second half of this year. It’s a decision I’ve been considering mentally for a few months. It hasn’t been easy; I’m making this video out of respect for all of you who support me so much, who care about me, and have always been there for me. I really want to learn and discover things. There are things in life that are not only external."

The protected ranking, her salvation for 2027

Currently, Beatriz is ranked number 153 in the WTA rankings, so she will be protected until 2027 when she decides to return to the circuit after this hard blow. “Making decisions seems very easy, but in reality, they are very internal. I fought a lot against things that were actually more external. I made changes, made decisions, tried different paths, and the time has come for me to take this break.,” she concluded.

This decision shows the bravery of a tennis player who has realized that she needed to stop to enjoy tennis again, just like we have seen in Paula Badosa, who also had to take a few months off due to a similar situation arising from injuries. Because as much as they might seem like it at times, tennis players are not machines; they also have their doubts, and sometimes a reset is necessary.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Haddad Maia se toma un descanso del tenis por problemas de salud mental