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'Alone' Zverev considers therapy after shock Wimbledon exit / Photo: © AFP
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'Alone' Zverev considers therapy after shock Wimbledon exit
Alexander Zverev is considering therapy to talk through his mental health issues after admitting he feels "alone" and "empty" following his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2019.
The German third seed was stunned by France's Arthur Rinderknech in the Wimbledon first round on Tuesday.
Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, slipped to a shock 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 defeat against the world number 72 in a marathon clash lasting four hours and 40 minutes on Centre Court.
The 28-year-old is the highest-ranked seed to fall so far in this year's men's singles at the All England Club.
In a remarkably open and honest press conference, Zverev said he was struggling to cope with life on the gruelling tennis circuit.
"It's funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open," he said.
"I'm trying to find ways, trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way.
"I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice."
Asked if he would consider therapy to cure his issues, Zverev said: "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, who reached the Australian Open final in January, endured his latest Wimbledon flop in a tie that initially started on Monday evening.
When play was halted due to Wimbledon's 2200 GMT curfew, the match was level at one-set all.
But Rinderknech seized his chance once play resumed in the blazing London heat on Tuesday afternoon.
Rinderknech hit 25 aces and although Zverev replied with 31 of his own, it was not enough to stave off an embarrassing defeat.
Zverev has failed to make it past the fourth round at Wimbledon in nine visits to the grass-court major.
He had reached at least the second round in his previous 20 Grand Slam appearances.
Last year a German court dropped a case against Zverev concerning allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea after a settlement was agreed.
In January 2023, the ATP, which runs the men's tennis tour, closed an investigation into allegations of domestic abuse against Zverev involving a female tennis player after finding insufficient evidence.
The ATP had opened the probe in 2021 following allegations made by his former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova.
A.Evans--SFF
