Alexander Zverev Makes Heartbreaking Confession About his Mental State After Opening Round Exit at Wimbledon

Alexander Zverev has not recovered since his Australian Open final loss to Jannik Sinner.

Alexander Zverev Makes Heartbreaking Confession About his Mental State After Opening Round Exit at Wimbledon

Alexander Zverev (via Wimbledon)

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Alexander Zverev‘s shock defeat at Wimbledon has left a deeper mark beyond the scoreboard. After falling in five sets to Arthur Rinderknech over two days, the world No.3 admitted to struggling mentally and said that he may seek therapy to help cope. The emotional toll of the loss was evident as he described feeling isolated and overwhelmed after the match.

Zverev’s exit from Wimbledon in the first round was his earliest Grand Slam departure since 2019. Despite being a top contender and in strong form, he has still never reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club. His five-set loss to Rinderknech was a part of the broader wave of upsets at this year’s tournament, setting a record for the most seeded men eliminated in the opening round. Zverev said in his post-match press conference at Wimbledon:

I would say more mental. I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle. Mentally, I’ve been saying that I’ve struggled since after the Australian Open. Just don’t know. Trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. I feel generally speaking quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice.

Off-court challenges have also added pressure. Zverev has dealt with high-profile legal issues in recent years, including two allegations of domestic abuse. Though he was not found guilty, one case in Berlin ended with a settlement. These issues, combined with on-court disappointments, have weighed heavily on the German star’s mental state. He added:

Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well. Even when I’m winning matches like in Stuttgart or Halle, it’s not necessarily a feeling I used to get. Where I was happy over the moon and felt motivated to keep going. It’s not there for me right now. It’s the first time in my life I’m feeling this.

While Zverev has continued to compete at the top level, his comments point to the strain of expectations and unresolved emotional struggles. With his Wimbledon campaign over, his attention may now shift to seeking support and finding balance, both personally and professionally.

Alexander Zverev exits Wimbledon

Wimbledon 2025 has seen an extraordinary number of early upsets, with a record-breaking 13 seeded players crashing out in the men’s first round. This ties the all-time Grand Slam record set at the 2004 Australian Open. Wimbledon’s previous high for men’s first-round seed exits was 11, occurring in 2001, 2003, 2018, and 2021.

Alexander Zverev (via X/Universe tennis)
Alexander Zverev (via X/Universe tennis)

The highest-profile exit came from third seed Alexander Zverev, who was defeated in five sets by Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman never lost serve throughout the match. Seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti also suffered an early exit, going down in four sets to Nikoloz Basilashvili. Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, both Top 10 seeds, lost their matches on Monday.

Other notable men’s seeds who failed to reach round two include Francisco Cerundolo, Ugo Humbert, Alexei Popyrin, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Denis Shapovalov, Alexander Bublik, Alex Michelsen, Tallon Griekspoor, and 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini also bowed out early.

The women’s draw has seen its share of surprises as well. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, seeded second and third, were both eliminated in the opening round. This is the first time in the Open Era that two of the top three women’s seeds have lost their first match at Wimbledon. Gauff had just won the French Open, while Pegula entered the tournament after a title win in Bad Homburg.

Arthur Rinderknech on cloud nine after conquering Alexander Zverev

World No.3 Alexander Zverev’s pursuit of a long-awaited Grand Slam title came to an abrupt end at Wimbledon after a five-set defeat to Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman, ranked 72nd in the world, delivered a major upset on Centre Court by beating the third seed 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 in a match that spanned two days.

Alexander Zverev (via X/ATP)
Alexander Zverev (via X/ATP)

Rinderknech, who will turn 30 next month, achieved the biggest win of his career by ranking. He had only recently claimed his first top-10 victory, defeating Ben Shelton at Queen’s Club. This victory over Zverev, however, was a far greater breakthrough moment for the Frenchman.

The match had its tense moments, especially when Rinderknech failed to convert a set point in the second-set tiebreak late Monday evening. Zverev managed to take the set 10-8 before play was halted for the day. But on Tuesday, Rinderknech regrouped and completed the stunning upset in five sets.

Also Read: Holger Rune, After Wimbledon Exit, Claims He Would’ve Defeated Nicolas Jarry ‘9 Out of 10 Times’ Without Injury Issues