Alexander Zverev once again failed in his bid to capture the elusive Grand Slam title as he fell in the first hurdle at Wimbledon. The German lost to World No. 72 Arthur Rinderknech 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 in a match that got extended to two days. The match was stopped at one set all due to the British curfew. Rinderknech had the opportunity to close out the match in four sets as he led 5-3 in the fourth set tiebreaker. However, he overcame the odds to win in five sets.
The big question marks revolve around Zverev. The ATP World No. 3 lost in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year to Jannik Sinner. Since then, there has been a decline in form, with the only title coming at the Munich Open. This is the first time since 2019 that he has failed in the first round of a Grand Slam event. Speaking to the press after the match, Zverev made shocking confessions about his health, as reported by RevSportz.
“It’s funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I’ve been saying that since after the Australian Open. I’m trying to find ways, trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way. I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice,” Zverev said.
“Maybe for the first time in my life, I’ll probably need it. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media. 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. It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well,” he explained.
Alexander Zverev has been unable to resolve his Grand Slam question. He lost in the Roland Garros quarterfinal to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Overall, he has made three Grand Slam finals. He lost in five sets to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final and then to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland Garros final. The big question right now is not about his form, but whether he can sustain his level to match the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner. For that, there is much more work he needs to do.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!