World No 1 Mark Selby has been praised by leading mental health charity MIND for his courage in publicly speaking out about his current struggles.
Reigning and four-time world champion Selby, 38, is one of the greatest snooker players of all time having won a total of 20 ranking titles plus three Masters crowns.
The popular Leicester player revealed a year ago that he was suffering badly with depression.
And over the weekend after losing heavily at the Masters tournament on Friday night he acknowledged: “Mentally I am not in a good place at moment.
"I have had a relapse and trying to bottle it up and put a brave face on is not the way. I promise I will get help and become a better person.”
Selby overcame many life and career hurdles to reach the very top of his sport.
And he has spoken before about his mother leaving the family home when he was very young, and his beloved father David dying when he was just 16.
Yesterday in another frank admission he added: “I can honestly say all the matches I have won as a professional, the biggest match I have overcome was on Saturday speaking out and finally admitting I need help.
“Bottling it up for years is not the way forward. Finally I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
“I feel I don’t have to hide behind the mask anymore. Those that have gone through it or are going through it can relate to this.”
Hayley Jarvis, head of sport for MIND, says high-profile sporting celebrities publicly seeking help and encouraging others to do likewise is a key factor in removing any stigma.
She said: “It’s testament to how far we’ve come in opening up the conversation about mental health that more and more people from the world of sport feel comfortable talking publicly about their own experiences.
“It’s really positive that a high-profile sports professional like Mark Selby has opened up about his mental health.
“We believe sport can play a huge role to play in reducing stigma and encouraging positive conversation around mental health, from grass roots all the way to elite level.
“Mind’s research found that a quarter of people said hearing a celebrity talk openly about their own mental health had directly inspired them to seek help for themselves.
“By sharing his story, Mark is showing that having a mental health problem can happen to anyone, in any career, or level of success.”
