“I’ve never felt this empty” – Alexander Zverev makes brutally honest admission about needing therapy after shock Wimbledon 1R exit
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev laid bare his emotional struggles in a brutally honest press conference following his shocking first-round exit at Wimbledon 2025 on July 1, admitting, “I’ve never felt this empty before” and revealing he may need therapy for the first time. The German, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, fell to world No. 72 Arthur Rinderknech in a grueling five-set marathon, 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, lasting four hours and 40 minutes across Monday and Tuesday due to an 11 p.m. curfew, per *ATP Tour*. The defeat, his earliest at a major since Wimbledon 2019, marked him as the highest-ranked men’s seed to fall in the first round, joining Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, per *The Mirror*.
Zverev, who reached the Australian Open final in January 2025, confessed to a profound lack of joy both on and off the court. “I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I’ve been saying that since after the Australian Open,” he told reporters, per *ProFootballNetwork*. When asked about seeking therapy, he responded, “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. I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do. It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well,” per *Dhaka Tribune*. His openness, echoed by @TheTennisLetter on X, drew praise for addressing mental health in elite sports.[]
The match saw Zverev fail to convert any of nine break points against Rinderknech’s potent serve, with a pivotal moment at 1-1 in the fifth set where he lost serve from a 40/0 lead, per *The Athletic*. Despite recent successes, including a Munich title and finals in Stuttgart and Halle, Zverev noted even victories lack the “over the moon” motivation he once felt, per *Tennis365*. Off-court pressures, including past domestic abuse allegations from Olya Sharypova (2020) and Brenda Patea (2023), which were unproven and discontinued, have compounded his struggles, per *Daily Mail*. Rinderknech’s career-best win, sealed with a belly-flop celebration, opens the draw for players like Carlos Alcaraz, per *Marca*.
