Mexican-American Tennis Player Ernesto Escobedo Opens Up About Stuttering in Heartfelt Video

BRATISLAVA – Even if at first glance it seems that respect and empathy should be a matter of course and mandatory equipment of every decent person in the 21st century, there are still individuals who have the need to insult and humiliate others.

Especially people of a different race, religious belief or sexual orientation, but victims of bullying are often also women or the disabled.

The well-known Mexican-American tennis player Ernesto Escobedo also became the target of absurd, even regrettable ridicule, even from among his own colleagues.

Why? Because he suffers from a speech disorder – stuttering, which has accompanied him since early childhood.

Escobedo opened up about his thirteenth chamber when he posted a heartfelt video link on Twitter aptly titled “Nobody’s Perfect,” in which he detailed how the speech impediment has affected his personal life and professional sports career.

“Normally I never do videos like this, but there’s something I’d like to talk about to speak. I want to talk about it for the first time. As most of you know, I suffer from a speech impediment. Especially when I’m in public, when I’m in large groups, when I have to speak in front of many people,” admitted the native of Los Angeles, who has been representing neighboring Mexico since January 2023.

No one is perfect. pic.twitter.com/tNrAL8M5zf

—Ernesto Escobedo (@netoescobedo) May 26, 2023

Stuttering is defined as a serious speech disorder characterized by frequent repetition of individual sounds, lengthening of sounds, syllables or words, as well as hesitation with breaks in communication.

The first symptoms usually occur in children aged 3-5 years. However, it is not only manifested in little people, sometimes even adults can suffer from it. According to The Stuttering Foundation, about one percent of the world’s population stutters, with the speech disorder affecting four times more men than women.

They mocked me

In the case of the former world number 67, who won his first trophy of the year last week at the ITF event in Xalapa, Mexico, the fear even went so far as to opt out of some matches to avoid having to say anything.

“They made fun of me, I was ashamed of it. A few of my colleagues on the Tour made me feel embarrassed. To be honest, I’ve lost big matches in the past because I just didn’t want to talk after a meeting. I just wanted to go home and be at peace , that is all,” the likeable North American declared to tennis.com.

The discussion under the aforementioned video link was immediately flooded with dozens of comments supporting Escobedo and condemning all haters who do not shy away from insulting and mocking stuttering people.

“Ernesto, brother, thank you for having the courage to talk about this and help other people.”

“I’m a person who stutters. I truly appreciate and thank you for sharing. I’ve struggled with this my whole life too. Hang in there!”

“You are the right man, Ernesto. All the best. Remember that barking dogs seldom bite. Shame on those who resort to such pranks.”

A legacy from a former world number one

The four-time participant in the second round of Grand Slam tournaments was also supported by many well-known personalities on the social network, such as former world number one Andy Roddick or successful tennis coach Brad Gilbert.

The US Open 2003 champion advised Escobedo not to pay attention to the “haters” and to focus mainly on himself and also on the people who benefit him.

“Oh, my. Don’t listen to idiots who have absolutely no understanding of what you’re going through. Keep going. Play tennis and invest your time in people who are beneficial to you and your interests. Ignore the rest. You’ve got a fan in me, bro.”

. Dude @netoescobedo …. Don’t listen to idiots who don’t fully understand what you’re going through. Keep grinding. Do your tennis, and invest time in people who benefit you and your interests. Ignore the others. You have a fan in me brother

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) May 27, 2023

“Thank you Andy. Your message means a lot to me. You have been my idol since I started playing tennis. I will keep fighting” Escobedo responded.

You are not alone

The twenty-six-year-old tennis player makes no secret of the fact that post-match interviews and press conferences made him feel anxious and even affected his performance on the court. On the Behind The Racquet podcast, he revealed that he took special classes and did everything he could to overcome his speech impediment.

The highest-ranked Mexican in the ATP rankings decided to share his experience to inspire the world and help people who suffer from the same problems. At the same time, he feels that this is a topic that should not be taboo.

“I want to use this platform. If I can help even one person, it would mean the world to me… If there’s anyone out there going through the same problem, feel free to reach out. I’d love to talk to you about it. No you are alone,” added the owner of four titles at the challenger level.

The story of Ernesto Escobedo may seem ordinary, but it is a sad example of how malicious people can destroy the psyche of a sensitive person. We are not afraid to talk about important things openly and without any inhibitions. But let’s remember that helping others is only possible if we help ourselves.

• Author: © List/Patrik Seman
• VIDEO: Twitter/Ernesto Escobedo; Twitter/andyroddick
• Source: Sports shoes