Alexander Zverev Locked his face in the left hand and spoke in a quiet, clear voice. “I like Tennis” was on his white T-shirt in the cinema-like media theater of Wimbledon-but his statements went far beyond sport. In a remarkable clarity, the 28-year-old revealed mental problems, a feeling of loneliness in his life as well as lack of motivation on and off the square. What’s next for the German number one?
He may need therapy for the first time in his life. «I’ve never felt so empty. I lack the fun of everything I do, »Zverev said two hours after his early failure against the Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech about his soul life. “Something in me has to change, something that is not necessarily on the tennis court.”
Brother Zverev: Didn’t indicate himself
His closest confidants were also surprised by the statements of the world number in third. Zverev’s brother Mischa, almost ten years older, tried to classify herself as the TV expert at Prime Video. “Nothing great was indicated, I also find out a lot of things from you,” said the former professional and added on Wednesday: “After an emotional defeat, you feel things, then you say things, and then you just have to look, how do you feel a day later.”
On Monday next week, Zverev will get back into tennis training, his brother announced. Before that, “a few days of break, play a little golf, go a little into the sea”.
In Wimbledon Place Zverev on his familiar environment, stood with his father on the training ground, brother Mischa lived with him in a common house. In contrast to the preparation tournament in the Westphalian Halle in the southwest of London, girlfriend Sophia Thomalla was missing, which was already the case in the face of his own life as a TV presenter and advertising perspective even in earlier Grand Slam tournaments.
Daughter as the most important person in life
At the tournaments in Germany, Zverev was recently accompanied by his daughter Mayla. She was the person who makes him happiest in life, he said. «But she’s four. Usually it has to be the other way around, I have to give your energy, I have to make you happy and not the other way around. It can’t be. ”
They had already talked after the lost match, Mischa Zverev reported on Tuesday evening. «We talked about different things, also about positive, also about the match. We talked about things that are fun and that we can do in the next few weeks. But that seemed to be positive. ” He took his brother’s statements seriously, he emphasized. “I try to listen and then, if I can, help.”
But again an external consultant in the Zverev team?
In the question of how this help could look now, Alexander Zverev initially showed himself at a loss. At the tournament in Toronto, Canada at the end of July, he hopes to be able to answer that he will now have a few weeks off. At the moment, however, the Olympic champion is also on the registration list for the clay court tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland, which takes place immediately after Wimbledon in mid -July.
Likewise, Zverev did not rule out the influences of external consultants in the Zverev family business. He had recently rejected this advice from Legend Boris Becker, which had caused a veritable summer theater in the tennis circus.
Zverev reported that he has had the mental problems since the Australian Open. There he again missed his big dream of the first Grand Slam triumph by the final defeat against the Italian Jannik Sinner. Afterwards, the Hamburg -based tournament played tournament for tournament to have a chance of the second longing goal – the top of the world rankings. But this in vain hunting became an “emotional roller coaster ride” (Mischa Zverev) through early defeats. A four -week tournament break is now an absolute exception in the closely linked schedule of a tennis professional.
Petkovic: Had also “huge crisis” with 28
Numerous top stars such as Naomi Osaka spoke openly about mental problems up to anxiety in the past. Former professional player Andrea Petkovic can empathize with Zverev’s situation, and she also had a “huge crisis” at the age of 28. “After a defeat, things come up that you can keep under the surface when you win,” she said. «The tennis player is generally a lonely sport. You feel alone on the tennis court, you feel alone outside. »
He said many difficulties, said Zverev, with the media and basically in life. Zverev kept his diabetes disease hidden. At the height of his skills, a serious ankle injury at the French Open 2022. Two years later in Paris, a process was ran in parallel to the allegation of bodily harm, which was terminated for a monetary requirement of 200,000 euros without conviction. Zverev is also considered innocent. The debate whether there is a German tennis dream team with Becker as a trainer is steadily accompanied by him.
Now the Olympic champion of 2021 is at a decisive point in his career and life. “I have to find myself a little and understand what people bring me joy, which I enjoy, which motivates me,” he said. “For me this is the number one task with 28.”
© DPA-Infocom, DPA: 250702-930-745165/3
