Selena Gomez’s Wondermind Developing “Behind the Racquet” Mental Health Docuseries with Venus Williams

Selena Gomez is making a racquet about the mental health of tennis player.

Wondermind, co-founded by the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Mandy Teefey and Daniella Pierson, will join forces with Venus Williams for Behind The Racquet.

Selena Gomez

The docuseries, currently in development, will address the mental health challenges faced by athletes in tennis.

It 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, 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.

Netflix Renews Christian Navarro’s “13 Reasons Why” for a Fourth & Final Season

Christian Navarro has Reason(s)to celebrate…

Netflix has picked up its drama 13 Reasons Why, starring the 27-year-old Puerto Rican actor and executive produced by Selena Gomez, for a fourth and final season.

Christian Navarro

The announcement comes ahead of the launch of Season 3, which is set for August 23. The trailer for the upcoming season reveals a major character death at the center of the plot in Season 3.

Season three begins eight months after the gang prevented Tyler from committing an unthinkable act at Spring Fling. Now. Clay, Tony (Navarro), Jessica, Alex, Justin and Zach find ways to shoulder the burden of the cover up together while helping Tyler move toward recovery. But when the aftermath of a tumultuous homecoming game culminates in the disappearance of a football player, and Clay finds himself under police scrutiny, it’s up to a shrewd outsider to steer the group through an investigation that threatens to lay bare everyone’s deepest secrets.

The final season of the drama from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content is already in production. It will feature the core cast’s graduation.

Dylan MinnetteBrandon FlynnJustin PrenticeAlisha Boe, Navarro, Miles HeizerDevin DruidRoss Butler, Timothy GranaderosAnne WintersSteven WeberBrenda Strong, Amy Hargreaves and Grace Saifstar.

Series creator Brian Yorkey serves as showrunner and executive produces Season 3 alongside Mandy TeefeyKristel Laiblin, Gomez and Joy Gorman.