“I Hit Rock Bottom”: Nelly Korda Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles After Shocking Career Setback
Nelly Korda, the golden girl of golf, just shattered the perfect-athlete myth in a gut-wrenching ESPN interview. “I hit rock bottom,” the 27-year-old admitted, voice trembling as she recalled the 2025 Chevron Championship collapse—missing the cut by eight strokes after leading the world rankings for 96 weeks. “I was crying in the locker room, questioning everything. The pressure? It crushed me.” Social media froze; #NellyStrong trended with 2M posts in 24 hours, fans sharing their own breakdowns.
The setback wasn’t just scores. A nagging wrist injury flared, sponsors hovered, and sleepless nights spiraled. “I felt like a fraud—five majors, yet one bad week and I’m nothing,” she confessed. Therapist Dr. Sarah Klein, who works with LPGA stars, praised her candor: “Nelly’s normalizing the crash. Golf’s mental marathon, not sprint.” Korda’s now on a six-week break—no clubs, just yoga, journaling, and family in Jupiter. Her Insta post—“Healing > hiding”—garnered 1.5M likes, including from Serena: “Proud of you, sis.”
This vulnerability flips the script. In a sport of stoic swings, Korda’s tears are revolution—echoing Osaka’s 2021 courage. “I’m rebuilding, one breath at a time,” she vowed, teasing a comeback at the KPMG Women’s PGA. Fans? United. “Rock bottom’s just the launchpad,” one wrote. Nelly’s not broken; she’s human—and that’s her real major. Struggled with your own low? Share below; let’s lift together.
