Deadline: Venus Williams and Selena Gomez Collaborate on an Inspiring Tennis Mental Health Docuseries – Update

EXCLUSIVE: Venus Williams and Wondermind, co-founded by Selena Gomez, Mandy Teefey and Daniella Pierson, are tackling the subject of mental health challenges faced by athletes in tennis-focused Behind The Racquet. The docuseries, which is currently in development, aims to raise awareness and destigmatize conversations about the challenges athletes face on and off the court, exploring mental health in tennis through the lens of those who live it.

Shot and directed by Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated director and cinematographer Rex Miller (Citizen Ashe), each one-hour episode will contain three player vignettes, giving viewers a 360-degree view of the sport. Through candid conversations with recreational players to pros at the top of their field, the series explores themes such as grief, anxiety, disability, body image, disordered eating, family, and sexuality.

Williams, Isha Price, Noah Rubin, Teefey, Katelyn Afshar and Zach Mitchell executive produce.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the production team for Behind The Racquet as it will tackle some of the hardest mental health conversations athletes have in tennis,” said EP and tennis champion Williams. “By exploring and sharing how athletes cope with their mental health and other off-court challenges, we’re able to address and normalize the many different layers of how mental health contributes to player performance and beyond.”

By giving an exclusive look at the triumphs and struggles both on and off the court, the docuseries is Wondermind’s cinematic expansion of a widely acclaimed social media community and platform – also called Behind the Racquet – where tennis players share their mental health journeys online. The community was founded by professional tennis player Noah Rubin who is an executive producer of the docuseries.

“The connection between players’ mental health and performance as athletes has often been discussed in the world of sports, but never explored so intimately in the world of tennis as it will in ‘Behind The Racquet,’” said Teefey, Co-founder & CEO of Wondermind and executive producer of the project. “Wondermind is dedicated to telling deep, character-rich stories that showcase universal narratives about mental health from diverse perspectives. We’re thrilled to have excellent production partners in Venus, Isha, Noah and team to achieve this.”

Behind The Racquet is the first docuseries produced by Wondermind, which creates content in film, TV, editorial, podcast, and other forums to normalize and advance mental health topics with authentic, first-hand stories and expert-backed reporting.