Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says tennis helps with his mental health

The Prime Minister has made a revelation about his mental health and has vowed to keep “engaging with real people” while in the top job.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to “keep it real” and hopes to continue to participate in tennis competitions to help his mental health.

After a busy first week on the job, Mr Albanese took to his local Marrickville Tennis Club on Saturday morning where he competed in a game of doubles in the Sydney Badge competition.

He produced yet another win by smashing his opponent, before promising to “keep it real”.

“We had a home game today versus Royal Sydney and I’m pleased to report that Marrickville won six sets to two,” he told media at a doorstop from Eastwood on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to “keep it real”.Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“It’s a good bit of fun … I do hope to keep playing, obviously my timetable is difficult but I want to keep it real.”

Mr Albanese said he wanted to continue to “engage with real people”, and said in his home electorate he’s just known as “Albo”.

“Even today, no one was addressing me formally … it’s a good thing, they’re my friends it’s my local community,” he said.

He described tennis as a “simple sport” but said he often resorted to it because it needs his full focus.

“You hit the ball over the net and between the lines, you can’t think about other things like what’s going on in the world or climate change, or the decision making processes that you’ve got to do,” Mr Albanese said.

“So I find for my mental health, it’s a pretty useful use of my time.”

The prime minister said he has had a big week and pulled through on his promise to make a “difference each and every day”.

Mr Albanese took to his local Marrickville Tennis Club on Saturday morning where he competed in a game of doubles. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Mr Albanese promised his government wouldn’t drop the ball and has already “been engaged” in the very first week in power.

On Friday, he wrote to the Fair Work Commission to make a submission to ensure workers on minimum wage would “not see a real wage cut” and accused the former government of being “out of touch”.

“I don’t see this as a radical position, that someone on $20.33 an hour shouldn’t get a real wage cut, they’re struggling to get by,” Mr Albanese said.

“I believe that some of the rhetoric of the former government showed that they were out of touch with how tough many people are doing out there.

“Those people on the minimum wage, many of them were the heroes of the pandemic. They’re are cleaners. They’re essential workers in retail, and they’re people who deserve a government that is prepared to speak up for them and I will lead such a government.”