World No. 3 Alexander Zverev opened up about his mental health struggles in a raw and emotional press conference following his shock first-round exit at Wimbledon 2025 on July 1, revealing he is considering therapy for the first time. The German, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, lost to world No. 72 Arthur Rinderknech in a five-set epic, 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, spanning four hours and 40 minutes over two days due to an 11 p.m. curfew, per *The Guardian*. “I’ve never felt this empty before,” Zverev admitted, describing a pervasive lack of joy in both his professional and personal life, per *ProFootballNetwork*.
Zverev, who reached the 2025 Australian Open final and won titles in Munich and Chengdu this year, confessed to feeling “very alone out there” and struggling mentally since January. “I’m not enjoying anything… not just tennis, but life outside of it,” he told reporters, per *Dhaka Tribune*. When asked about therapy, he responded candidly, “Maybe for the first time in my life I’ll probably need it. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media and in life generally,” per *Tennis365*. His openness, a rare display of vulnerability in elite sports, was praised on X by @TheTennisLetter, which highlighted his call for greater mental health awareness.
The match against Rinderknech exposed Zverev’s struggles, as he failed to convert any of nine break points and lost a crucial fifth-set game from a 40/0 lead, per *ATP Tour*. Off-court pressures, including past domestic abuse allegations from Olya Sharypova (2020) and Brenda Patea (2023)—both unproven and discontinued—have added to his burden, per *Daily Mail*. Despite recent successes, like finals in Stuttgart and Halle, Zverev noted that even victories feel hollow, lacking the “over the moon” joy he once experienced, per *Sportskeeda*. Rinderknech’s win, sealed with a celebratory belly-flop, marked a career highlight, per *Marca*. Zverev’s loss, alongside those of Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, shakes up the men’s draw, benefiting players like Carlos Alcaraz, per *The Mirror*.
