Alexander Zverev considers therapy after shock Wimbledon exit

LONDON: Alexander Zverev said he might need ‘therapy’ to recover from mental problems he is facing after his shock first-round Wimbledon exit, international media reported on Wednesday.

World number three Zverev became the highest men's seed to exit Wimbledon in the first round on Tuesday after suffering a defeat to France's Arthur Rinderknech in a five-set marathon. 

Zverev and Rinderknech were locked at one set apiece on Monday when play was stopped, but after the resumption, the Frenchman secured a 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 victory.

It is Zverev's first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2019.

German admitted that he is struggling mentally, and he needs to sort out his off-court issues.

"I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open. Yeah, just don't know. I'm trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it,” Zverev said.

"I just feel generally very, very alone and very lonely... is a feeling that is not very nice. Just never felt that way before.

"I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment. Again, it's difficult for me to tell you because I don't have the answers right now."

Zverev has been facing a number of problems off the field in recent years. While he previously managed to deny those distractions, on Tuesday, he admitted that these things have impacted his game and he might need to undergo counselling to get back into the right headspace.

"Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll probably need it (therapy). I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do," Zverev stated.

"It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well. Even when I'm winning... it's not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon.

"It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling."