Thomas Baschab, a renowned German mental coach, has dismissed claims that Alexander Zverev’s struggles stem from mental weakness, labeling such assertions “complete nonsense” in an interview with Tennis Magazin on July 24, 2025. Instead, he pinpointed Zverev’s crisis—marked by a first-round Wimbledon loss to Arthur Rinderknech (7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4) and a candid admission of feeling “very alone” and “empty”—as rooted in disrupted energy flows rather than psychological fragility.
Zverev, the world No. 3 with 24 titles and over €50 million in prize money, has faced intense scrutiny after losing three Grand Slam finals, including the 2025 Australian Open to Jannik Sinner (3-6, 6-7(4), 3-6). Baschab argued that Zverev’s achievements, including two ATP Finals and an Olympic gold, disprove mental weakness: “If he was mentally weak, he wouldn’t be world No. 2 or win those trophies. His tiebreak record is fantastic.” Instead, he identified Zverev’s issue as “energetic,” explaining, “He experiences interruptions in his body’s energy flow, which prevents peak performance. He gets distracted by his own mistakes, causing his quality to drop.” Unlike Novak Djokovic, who maintains a consistent “aura” of energy, Zverev struggles to sustain this, particularly in high-stakes moments.
Zverev’s post-Wimbledon press conference on July 2, 2025, revealed deep personal struggles: “I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything… I feel very alone in life at the moment,” he told ATP Tour. Baschab attributed this loneliness to the isolating nature of elite competition, noting, “Up there, you quickly feel lonely. His brother, father, mother, and girlfriend are all tied to him in a tight web, lacking independent perspectives.” This dynamic, Baschab suggested, exacerbates Zverev’s sense of isolation, a sentiment echoed by tennis expert Markus Zoecke, who linked such loneliness to the individual nature of tennis, per observatorial.com.
Rather than therapy, which Baschab warned “could cause larger problems,” he recommended a break to stabilize Zverev’s energy system: “He needs to recharge and strengthen his energy to avoid mid-match breakdowns.” Zverev’s decision to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy post-Wimbledon, spending hours with Rafael and Toni Nadal, aligns with this advice. Toni urged a bolder playing style, particularly improving his forehand, which Baschab noted lacks dominance compared to Sinner or Alcaraz.
Boris Becker, while empathizing with Zverev’s struggles, criticized his public disclosure as a mistake, telling Express.co.uk, “I would’ve advised him not to share that after a first-round loss.” Nonetheless, Becker reached out post-Wimbledon, moved by Zverev’s candor. Zverev’s 500th ATP win in Toronto (6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 over Matteo Arnaldi) showed signs of recovery, but his Cincinnati and US Open campaigns will test his progress.
