Alexander Zverev Reflects on Recent Struggles After Wimbledon Exit
THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, London — Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed, expressed feelings of isolation and a lack of joy in his life after suffering a surprising first-round defeat to France’s Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon.
In a press conference following his unexpected loss to the world No. 72, Zverev joined a list of highly-ranked players who were eliminated on Tuesday. Rinderknech had never progressed beyond the third round of a major before this match, making Zverev’s defeat all the more startling.
This defeat added to a rough patch for Zverev since he was runner-up to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January. Although there have been some decent performances in the past six months, he has struggled to build consistent momentum, leading to speculation about his future in the sport. Former world No. 1, Andy Roddick, even labeled him the best male player without a Grand Slam title.
Following his match, which extended over two days and concluded with a score of 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, Zverev admitted that his mental struggles have compounded his feelings of loneliness off the court. “I feel very alone out there at times,” he remarked during the conference.
Zverev, who is coached by his father, mentioned the possibility of altering his coaching team ahead of the Canadian Open in August. Despite having worked with former champions like Ivan Lendl and Juan Carlos Ferrero, he emphasized that his feelings extend beyond just tennis. “Something within me has to change,” Zverev stated, contemplating seeking therapy for the first time in his life.
The nature of his defeat highlighted Zverev’s dwindling confidence and his difficulty in asserting himself against opponents. Despite his impressive height of 6 feet 6 (198 cm) and significant power, he often resorted to merely exchanging groundstrokes instead of taking command of the match. Rinderknech capitalized on this, winning 44 out of 55 points at the net.
For Zverev, the focus will shift to restoring his happiness both on and off the court as he seeks to regain his competitive edge. Without this, the path to capturing that elusive first Grand Slam title may become increasingly challenging, reflecting a decline from being a nearly man to struggling even more.
