'Everyone's on Antidepressants': Goran Ivanisevic drops truth bomb after Alexander Zverev confession following Wimbledon defeat

Former world number two Goran Ivanisevic has shared his perspective on the players' mental health issues after the recent admission of Germany’s Alexander Zverev. The 28-year-old suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon after losing to Arthur Rinderknech in a five-set thriller with a score of 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

After that defeat, Zverev, while talking to the media, admitted that he is struggling with mental health issues. He stated that he feels ‘alone’ on the court and is looking for a solution to his problems. “I feel very alone out there at times,” said Zverev back then. “I struggle mentally ... I'm 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. It's not a feeling on a tennis court, it's just a life feeling in general.”

Those comments generated a lot of attention from some of the big names in the world of tennis, including the former world number one Novak Djokovic, who not only showed support for Zverev but also stated that such confessions from anyone should be taken seriously.

“'Social media is extremely present and largely dictates the mood and daily rhythm of an athlete - especially young ones, but older ones too,” said Djokovic while talking to Sportklub. “Everyone is on social media, and you can get lost there, get too attached to comments, to what someone types on a keyboard or phone… and that hurts. It's not trivial. That's something we need to talk about seriously. Kids are pushed too early into strict professionalism before they've developed emotional intelligence, which is part of psychological preparation for life. If a player gets a bit lost in that, it can strongly affect their psyche and how they live their life.”

Now, former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic has also shared his perspective on the whole debate surrounding mental health. Ivanisevic was of the opinion that the vast majority of athletes are on ‘antidepressants’ and that it is clear how expectations from society are making it tough for them.

“When I listen to players, everyone's on antidepressants, Zverev says he's in a bad place,” said Ivanisevic while speaking to Clay magazine. “I don't know why they [the players] put so much pressure on themselves. Maybe it's outside expectations, society's expectations - they can't handle it.”