2025 Summit focused on elevating mental fitness, health, and recovery in sport
Before the final Slam of the year gets underway in New York City, the PTPA will host its first annual Beyond the Court Summit, a two-night event centered on elevating mental fitness, health, and recovery in sport. Curated by PTPA Mental Fitness Director Damon Valentino, the Summit will join tennis players and their teams with leading clinicians, researchers, mental health advocates, and pro athletes from across sport for impactful programming that explores how the professional tennis ecosystem can more effectively support the “whole human” behind the on-court performance.
“The PTPA is committed to playing its part in building systems of care that are more responsive to players’ needs and the realities of life on tour,” said Valentino. “Our Beyond the Court Summit will create a space for learning, listening, and sharing tools and resources for supporting players’ holistic welfare. Training the mind is just as important as training the body, and we’re proud to continue helping players and their teams bridge the gap between mental fitness and performance.”
All players, player teams, agents, and player families/friends are invited to attend the Summit. Healthy dinner options will be provided, and players will have the opportunity to participate in event partner activations to receive gifting or discounts. For more information and to RSVP, please contact the PTPA.
Event Details
📅 Wednesday, August 20 – Thursday, August 21
⏰ 6:00 – 9:00pm
đź“Ť Midtown Manhattan
đź‘Ą Open to all players, player teams, agents, and player families/friends
🍽️ Healthy dinner options provided
Summit Sessions
Day 1: Awareness & Access – Why Mental Health is Performance Health
| Session | Speakers/Partners |
| 6:00-7:00pm: Resources Lounge & Networking | Explore resources and materials from event partners, including ĹŚURA, IM8, Hilton, Psych Hub, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and WISE Scholarship Program |
| 7:00-7:10pm: Welcome Remarks | Damon Valentino: PTPA Mental Fitness Director |
| 7:10-7:40 pm: Keynote: The Future of Mental Health in Pro Sport | Dr. Brook Choulet: President, American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry |
| 7:40-8:30pm: Panel: Mental Health and the Athlete’s Journey | Deonte Harty: NFL Player Keita Bates-Diop: NBA Player Dr. Jason Wersland: Founder & Chief Wellness Officer, Therabody |
| 8:30-9:00pm: Q&A & Resource Sharing | Moderated by Damon Valentino, PTPA Mental Fitness Director |
Day 2: Tools & Transformation – Training the Mind, Supporting the Human
| Session | Speakers/Partners |
| 6:00-7:00pm: Resources Lounge & Networking | Explore resources and materials from event partners, including ĹŚURA, IM8, Hilton, Psych Hub, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and WISE Scholarship Program |
| 7:00-7:10pm: Welcome Remarks | Damon Valentino: PTPA Mental Fitness Director |
| 7:10-7:30pm: Data Presentation: On-Court Load & Injury Trends | Dr. Robby Sikka: PTPA Medical Director |
| 7:30-8:00pm: Keynote: Making Sense of Stress, Psychophysiological States and Their Impact on Health & Performance | Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi: Award-Winning Psychophysiologist |
| 8:00-8:45pm: Panel: Building the Future of Mental Fitness in Tennis | Rawle Andrews Jr.: Executive Director, American Psychiatric Association Foundation Madhuri Jha: Founder, Thriving For All Scott Healey: CEO, Psych Hub |
| 8:45-9:00pm: Q&A & Resource Sharing | Moderated by Damon Valentino, PTPA Mental Fitness Director |
Meet the Speakers
Keita Bates-Diop: NBA Player
Keita is a versatile NBA forward known for his defensive tenacity, work ethic, and commitment to growth both on and off the court. Beyond basketball, Keita is passionate about mental health advocacy, using his platform to encourage athletes to prioritize well-being, resilience, and life balance.
Deonte Harty: NFL Player
Deonte is one of the NFL’s leading advocates for mental wellness. Since going pro in 2019, he has experienced the weight of expectation, performance anxiety, and injury setbacks, and has chosen to speak openly about the need for greater support for the full human behind the athlete.
Dr. Jason Wersland: Founder & Chief Wellness Officer, Therabody
Dr. Wersland is the Founder and Chief Wellness Officer of Therabody, Educator and Speaker in the wellness tech space, and Podcast host of Every Body Talks. To employees, patients, and those who know him, he is Dr. J, and is seen as an innovator and healer, leaving everyone he interacts with genuinely inspired. Dr. J believes our purpose is to understand ourselves and sees wellness as body, mind and soul. Through innovations such as Theragun, utilizing science + data, and speaking with others, Dr. J fulfills this purpose each day as he continues to study and immerse himself in every aspect of wellbeing.
Dr. Brook Choulet: President, American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry
Dr. Choulet is a trailblazer in the integration of psychiatry and performance, serving as a trusted clinician to professional athletes across major sports. Her practice is rooted in the belief that access, advocacy, and tailored care must evolve alongside the modern game.
Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi: Award-Winning Psychophysiologist
Dr. Bigliassi is Chief Scientist, Computational Neuroscience at Neurosmart and a psychophysiology professor at Florida International University. He bridges the gap between neuroscience, psychophysiology, and advanced technology. With over 15 years of experience in applied psychology, neuroscience, and health, he decodes complex signals to develop data-driven solutions for health and performance.
Rawle Andrews Jr.: Executive Director, American Psychiatric Association Foundation
Rawle champions access, equity, and early intervention in communities often overlooked by traditional mental health systems. As Executive Director of APAC, Rawle offers expertise on how institutional structures can either support or undermine athlete mental health.
Scott Healey: CEO, Psych Hub
Scott leads Psych Hub with a clear mission: to make mental health education accessible, evidence-based, and scalable across industries. With a background in building trusted digital platforms, Scott is revolutionizing how people learn about mental health.
Director Madhuri Jha: Founder, Thriving For All
Madhuri is a nationally recognized leader in health equity, mental health systems, and trauma-informed care. As the founder of Thriving For All and former director at the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity, she has helped shape national policies and community-level programs alike.
Dr. Robby Sikka: PTPA Medical
Dr. Sikka is a data-driven innovator at the intersection of sport science, medical care, and human performance. As Medical Director of the PTPA and former VP of Player Health & Performance for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, he brings expertise in analyzing how stress, travel, recovery, and match scheduling impact athlete health.
Damon Valentino: PTPA Director of Mental Fitness
Damon is a leader at the forefront of athlete well-being, known for translating complex psychology into practical, performance-enhancing tools for players, coaches, and high-pressure teams. As the Director of Mental Fitness for the PTPA, Damon has built a first-of-its-kind system that bridges recovery, self-awareness, and identity in the pursuit of excellence. His work spans decades of experience with elite performers, from professional athletes to first responders.
Event Partners
Big thanks to our Summit partners for their support!
