'I feel very alone out there': After Round 1 exit at Wimbledon 2025, world no. 3 Alexander Zverev speaks about mental health struggles, being open about therapy

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'I feel very alone out there': After Round 1 exit at Wimbledon 2025, world no. 3 Alexander Zverev speaks about mental health struggles, being open about therapy
Alexander Zverev of Germany leaves the court after his five-set loss to Arthur Rinderknech of France in the first round of the on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships on July 1st, 2025, in London, England.

Story Highlights:

Alexander Zvererv bowed out of Wimbledon after a hard-fought game against Arthur Rinderknech.

Zverev revealed his mental struggles and feeling alone while playing tennis.

After Round 1 exit, Zverev is open to seeking therapy.

Alexander Zverev, the world's no.3 player, faced a defeat in the opening round of Wimbledon 2025. Zverev became the highest-ranked man to fall in an opening round. Defeated by France's unseeded Arthur Rinderknech, the Australian Open finalist 2025 straightened out about his hurdles on the competitive tennis circuit and how it has affected his mental health.

Zverev spoke to the reporters after his 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 defeat in a hard-fought game that lasted four hours, 40 minutes at the the Centre Court. He said the reason for his loss and mediocre performance is his bad mental state. 

“I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle. Mentally, I’ve been saying that I’ve struggled since after the Australian Open. Just don’t know. Trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. I feel generally speaking quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice,” Zverev, ranked no. 3 said.

 

 

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At the Wimbledon, Zverev has never made it past the fourth round. He said that the idea of therapy is what he is open to now while further explaining his current state, 'lacking joy'.

“Maybe for the first time in my life I’ll probably need it. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in life generally.

 

 

 

“I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do. It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.

 

 

“Even when I’m winning, even when I’m winning like in Stuttgart or Halle, it’s not necessarily, like, a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon, I felt motivated to keep going. It’s just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I’m feeling it,” Zverev said.    

 

 

Excluding Zverev, there are 12 other men who's seeds have fallen at the first hurdle -- a record set in Wimbledon since 32 seeds were launched in 2001. Also, a sum of nine seeds in the women's singles have been bid goodbye and sent back home.