Novak Djokovic Slams Social Media for ‘Hurting’ Players’ Mental Health: 'You Can Get Lost'

One of the talking points of the town during the ongoing Wimbledon is mental health after Alexander Zverev, following his exit, revealed he is very lonely and is struggling to find joy in everything he does in his life. Novak Djokovic, when asked about why many on the tour succumb to mental health issues, said social media is one of the main reasons.

Djokovic, at Wimbledon, inched closer to his 25th Major as he, after securing a win over compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, booked a berth in the fourth round. At the press conference after his win, Djokovic talked about the hateful social media comments that players receive daily and called for serious discussions on the topic.

Social media is extremely present and in a certain way dictates the mood and daily rhythm of an athlete, especially in young ones, although also in some older ones. Everyone is present on social media, and there you can get lost, give too much importance to the comments, to what someone writes from a keyboard or their phone…and that hurts. It is not something trivial.

Djokovic also blamed the 11-month exhausting calendar. He compared tennis with other sports, pointing out that no one can replace a tennis player for a few minutes because it’s an individual sport; they have to grind for hours and if they want to reach the top and strengthen their position, they have to dedicate their “entire life” to tennis.

Djokovic’s career has now spanned over two decades and he is well aware of the “vicious circle” of tennis. According to him, when talented youngsters are always pushed to “play, play, play” to earn a lot of money and other things, failing to do something affects their psychology.

Novak Djokovic gives his verdict on US Open’s mixed doubles format

Because this year’s US Open mixed doubles will be played during the qualifying week, it has attracted the top singles players from both the men’s and women’s tours. Novak Djokovic is one of them.